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Barnes: NBA Investigating Reported Love Triangle Incident Involving Wife, Derek Fisher

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Former Lakers and Clippers forward Matt Barnes says the NBA is investigating what happened with his former teammate Derek Fisher at the Los Angeles home of Barnes' estranged wife.

Barnes, who now plays for the Grizzlies, told reporters Thursday after the team's morning shootaround the incident was a "personal matter" involving someone who was a good friend at one point.

The veteran known for his hot-headed antics on the court says in video posted by The Commercial Appeal that he has not spoken with the NBA yet. Barnes says the "real details" will come out in due time and would not comment on what happened.

"We were friends," Barnes told The Commercial Appeal.

Fisher and Barnes were teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2010-12. The Grizzlies wrapped training camp in Santa Barbara earlier last Saturday.

A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the incident occurred while Fisher was attending a gathering at the home of Barnes' estranged wife. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no details were publicly released about the incident.

Fisher, who is now the head coach of the New York Knicks, has been dating Gloria Govan for a couple months, and was at her house for a bonfire with some friends over the past weekend

Fisher had recently filed for divorce from his wife of 10-years in March, while Govan was a star on the hit VH1 series, "Basketball Wives: LA".

When Barnes heard that Fisher was at his former home he had purchased with Ms. Govan, he drove from Santa Barbara (where the Memphis Grizzlies, Barnes' current team, are having training camp) to the Los Angeles home in order to, "Beat the s–t" out of Fisher, according to some reports.

But as ESPN's Ramon Shelbourne reported Thursday on Twitter, Barnes refuted those reports, saying he lives a much shorter distance from the house and that he was just "going over to check on my kids because they seemed uncomfortable. "

"I can't believe people think I was some maniac driving 95 miles and listening to Tupac to go beat somebody up," Barnes reportedly told Shelbourne.

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 reportedly left before the cops arrived, but Gloria Govan is reportedly planning to file a restraining order against Barnes.

Fisher was also absent from Knicks practice on Monday, however his representatives would not confirm that it was because of the altercation.

The NBA is currently investigating the issue, along with the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks.

Barnes has been arrested before, once in 2010 on suspicion of domestic violence, and once in 2012 on a misdemeanor traffic warrant.

Fisher is in his second season with the Knicks after spending most of his playing career in Los Angeles, where his children remain. Fisher missed practice Monday -- the team announced at the time it was for personal reasons -- and led the Knicks in their exhibition opener Wednesday night against a Brazilian club team.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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