Matt Barnes pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct on Tuesday morning, according to ESPN.com’s Ian Begley, avoiding criminal charges in his assault case stemming from a December incident in New York City. He’s been ordered to perform 10 days of community service to fulfill his obligation in the agreement.
Matt Barnes pleads guilty to disorderly conduct to avoid criminal charges from NYC scuffle
Barnes was allegedly involved in an altercation outside of a New York City nightclub in December.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office will revisit Barnes’ case at the end of August for a status update, according to Begley.
Police said Barnes, a forward for the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors, was involved in a Dec. 5 altercation at a NYC bar called Avenue. The 36-year-old wing — known best for his brash, smash-mouth style of defense — faced third-degree assault charges, as well as obstruction of breathing.
Barnes was subsequently involved in a civil suit against he and New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins. The lawsuit claimed Barnes grabbed a woman by her neck and choked her outside of the club before elbowing her in the face, knocking her unconscious, according to ESPN. It also alleged Cousins punched a man in the face for attempting to stop Barnes.
Cousins, however, was cleared of all criminal wrongdoing, according to ESPN.
Barnes is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July after averaging 5.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game with the Warriors last season.
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