Matt Barnes of the Grizzlies was trying to play it cool—and didn’t do so well—when TMZ caught up with him and asked him about his crush on Rihanna. When asked if he had “a crush” on her, Barnes said “I think it just passed the crush stage a little bit. Just a little bit.”

Barnes played for the Clippers last year, but is going to be further from the Hollywood scene this season as a member of the Grizz. “She’s rich, we’ll handle it,” was Barnes’ response to a follow up question about whether the long distance would hurt their budding relationship. He was careful throughout to say that he and Rihanna were merely friends; it was his body language and grin that hinted otherwise.

Matt Barnes Had Some Beef With Colin Kaepernick

Rihanna has caught wind of this, and is shutting it down very hard.

Somebody isn’t telling the truth, although Rihanna is a little suspect when it comes to unclear dalliances with NBA players. Two years ago, then-Knicks guard J.R. Smith was coming under fire for partying late into the night with Rihanna during the playoffs.

Adrien Broner Apologizes For Raunchy Rihanna Comments

Yup, Rihanna not only called him “desert thirsty,” she aired him out for partying during the postseason and being hung over for games. These NBA players need to stop chasing Rihanna, who now has an official history of throwing them right under the bus.

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