Knicks · Matt Barnes attacks Knicks coach Fisher for dating ex-wife.. (page 1)
Matt Barnes with then wife Gloria Govan and Knicks coach Derek Fisher.
Knicks coach Derek Fisher is involved in a romantic relationship with the estranged wife of his former teammate Matt Barnes — and when Barnes found out over the weekend, he allegedly attacked Fisher, sources tell Page Six.
Sources said Fisher was at the LA home of Gloria Govan — Barnes’ estranged wife, who stars on “Basketball Wives LA” — on Saturday. Fisher and Govan have been dating for “a few months,” a source said, after Fisher filed to divorce his wife of 10 years, Candace, in March.
But when Barnes learned that Fisher was at his former home with Gloria, he drove 95 miles to LA to “beat the s–t” out of Fisher, sources said.
“Derek was in Gloria’s back yard with about 10 people having a bonfire on Saturday,” said a source. “Derek’s separated from his wife and there’s a relationship with [Gloria].”
The source added, “Barnes was in Santa Barbara [at Memphis Grizzlies training camp] and heard that Fisher was in his house. He went crazy. He got in his car and went to the house and went after Fisher.”
Another source said, “Someone told Matt that Fisher was at the house and he drove down there — he went over to confront Derek.”
A source close to Fisher confirmed the fight but said, “Matt came after Derek but he only had a few scratches … Derek’s not going to press charges, he’s going to let it go.”
Fisher left the scene before cops arrived, and we hear that Govan’s planning to file a restraining order.
Another source said that the altercation was the reason Fisher missed Knicks practice on Monday — but others said that he had been traveling back to New York on Sunday and was delayed because of plane trouble. The Knicks tweeted on Monday that Fisher was “not at practice due to personal reasons — expected back tomorrow.” He was in LA visiting his kids.
Barnes — who played with Fisher on the Lakers — made headlines recently when he told TMZ that he and pop star Rihanna were “just past the crush stage,” and Rihanna fired back that she’d never met the player.
Barnes has had trouble with the law in the past: He was arrested in 2010 on suspicion of domestic violence but he disputed the charges, and again in 2012 on a misdemeanor traffic warrant.
Govan said this year of her impending divorce from Barnes: “Matt and I were together for eight years. And I think the course of our relationship is just due to evolution. We’re always gonna be good friends. Obviously we have kids together.”
A Knicks rep declined comment. A Grizzlies rep did not immediately return a call for comment. Govan’s agent, David Arrigotti, had no comment, and her publicist did not immediately return calls.