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Matt Barnes labeled Fox News host Sean Hannity an "outright bigot" who spews racism
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- Matt Barnes labeled Fox News host Sean Hannity an "outright bigot" who spews racism
Matt Barnes may not have played in the league since 2017, but he has certainly made sure that there are rarely many weeks in the NBA world without his name making the headlines.
As one of the most outspoken personalities in the new-age sports media landscape, Barnes has built a reputation for calling out what he sees happening in the NBA with complete honesty, while rarely shying away from expressing his personal feelings.
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And according to the 2017 NBA champ, veteran media personality and political commentator Sean Hannity is one of those individuals he simply cannot tolerate.
Sean Hannity has had ugly accusations raised against him
In 2017, Hannity drew widespread criticism and mockery, including from ESPN's Jemele Hill, after he assembled an "all-white" panel to discuss whether conservatives are racist in response to Hill calling President Donald Trump a "white supremacist."
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That kind of incident was not isolated. Hannity has repeatedly used his platform to criticize Democratic figures, including former POTUS Joe Biden, over past racially charged comments, while rejecting the argument that conservatism or Trump-aligned politics inherently carry racist elements.
Thus, critics have characterized this pattern as selectively emphasizing race for political purposes rather than engaging with it in good faith. That, however, is an interpretation from his critics rather than something Hannity himself has acknowledged.
Additionally, Sean Hannity has also faced extensive criticism from media-accountability organizations and civil rights commentators over his coverage and his decision to amplify certain racially charged narratives and guests throughout his career.
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Barnes makes his feelings clear about Hannity
Against that backdrop, Barnes made his feelings about Hannity clear during his appearance on the "Get To The Point" podcast.
The former NBA forward argued that Sean and others like him have used controversial remarks to attract attention and suggested they need to understand how their comments are received, making it clear that the tendency to make racially charged comments does not please him.
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"You're mad about a black body giving you a thumbs down, but then you run to Sean Hannity, who's an outright bigot on Fox, who is known to spew nothing but racism and bulls–t and try to justify… I think his biggest issue is that he stopped being able to read the room," Barnes said. "The biggest issue with a lot of people is like, 'Man, read the room!'"
Barnes has a no-tolerance policy for racism
Safe to say, Barnes' comments reflect how strongly he stands against racism, particularly given the experiences he had growing up. He grew up in the 1980s, a period when drug abuse affected communities across the United States. The former Warriors star has previously recalled that, at just four years old, he regularly witnessed people using hard drugs directly in front of him.
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Even more concerningly, when his house in Santa Clara became a gathering place for people struggling with severe drug addiction, Barnes was exposed to an environment of chaos where he constantly saw belittling. And even after his family moved to Sacramento, he experienced racism on a regular basis .
Perhaps it's safe to say that those experiences helped shape Barnes' attitude toward racism and racial discrimination. So, when he believes he sees similar behavior continuing today, he has shown that he is unlikely to stay quiet.
Thus, this subtle admission of how he feels about Sean Hannity and many like him.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
