“I’ll come over and smack the sh*t out of you” – Former NBA champion shares an altercation with Robert Sarver, mentions he was fined $25,000 for talking trash to him

Robert Sarver, the longtime owner of the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury, has remained in the hot seat.

After it was revealed that Sarver had used racist and sexist language with staff members in the past, he said that he had no intentions of selling the two franchises. However, Sarver doubled back to announce that he would be selling both. This led to speculation as to who the buyers would be. As the controversy was made public, many weighed in and condemned Sarver for his comments.

This week, former NBA player Matt Barnes recalled a situation with Sarver from his playing days during a recent "Club Shay Shay" podcast appearance. As Barnes recalled, he was having a midgame laugh with Suns fans when Sarver warned him not to talk to them. Unsurprisingly, the order didn't sit well with Barnes, who fired back at Sarver, threatening to slap him.

"I was in a game, and I was talking to this 13-year-old kid and his dad courtside," Barnes said. "You know me, I had a fun back-and-forth, talking trash, nothing bad about it.

"And someone was shooting a free throw, and I heard someone behind me say, 'Don’t talk to my f**king fans.' And I’m like, ‘Who’s he talking to?’ I turned around, and it was Sarver and I’m like, 'Motherf**ker, I’ll slap the s**t out of you in front of your wife.'”

What makes the situation even more interesting is that Barnes had played for Sarver and the Suns in 2008-09. Even though the incident took place several years after Barnes left the team, the fact that Sarver was so hostile is rather telling.

Robert Sarver and the Phoenix Suns ownership going forward

Sacramento Kings vs. Phoenix Suns

With Robert Sarver set to sell the team, there have been countless names put forward in regards to potential future owners. With a year-long suspension ahead of him, Sarver will likely look to sell the two franchises sooner rather than later. Given that, there has been a lengthy list of potential owners from Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal to outspoken billionaire Elon Musk.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been one of the most popular names put forth as a potential owner. Although Bezos has never publicly expressed an interest in purchasing a team, the mogul has remained one of the most popular candidates. Alongside him as a minority owner could be O'Neal, who has been adamant that he would rather partner with Bezos than compete against him for ownership.

With the tip off of the season just days away, it will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds. Given that a sale could take some time, it's anyone's guess as to how long Sarver remains an NBA owner.