Former NBA champion Matt Barnes revealed that his son, Isaiah Barnes, was involved in a serious accident last week that resulted in emergency surgery.
Isaiah Barnes had an appendectomy
Isaiah, a high school basketball player at Encino Crespi High School, was hit by a car while jogging last Wednesday.
The 44-year-old Barnes shared the alarming news on social media, stating that Isaiah’s condition took a turn for the worse just two days after the incident.
Barnes explained that Isaiah had been experiencing severe stomach pain on Friday but attempted to push through it to participate in the Mamba Invitational basketball tournament.
Unfortunately, the pain became unbearable, and Isaiah was unable to sleep that night.
It wasn’t until Saturday morning that he informed his parents, leading Barnes to rush him to the emergency room.
“My guy had a tough week,” Barnes wrote on Instagram.
“Hit by a car while jogging Wednesday, had a bad stomach ache Friday, tried to play through the Mamba Invitational, couldn’t sleep all Friday night. Decided to FINALLY tell his mom & I yesterday when he couldn’t move.”
Once at the hospital, doctors discovered that Isaiah’s appendix was severely inflamed and required immediate removal.
“Doctor said it was the largest appendix he had ever seen that hadn’t ruptured,” Barnes shared, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Isaiah’s mother, Gloria Govan, also posted updates on her Instagram, describing the ordeal as “minor… kinda,” noting the seriousness of the appendicitis while still maintaining some optimism.
Basketball community rallies around Isaiah Barnes
Isaiah’s surgery was successful, and the young athlete has since been discharged from the hospital.
He shared his own updates on Instagram, expressing relief that the difficult week was finally behind him.
“Been one tough week man,”Isaiah wrote, along with a photo of a car pulling up to take him home.
Barnes also posted a heartfelt video of Isaiah reuniting with his twin brother, Carter, following the surgery.
The brothers, both basketball players at Encino Crespi High School, shared an emotional hug as Isaiah showed off his surgical scars.
The news sparked an outpouring of support from the basketball community, with figures like Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and ESPN analyst Ryan Clark sending their well-wishes.
Barnes, who also has a younger son, Ashton, with his fiance Anansa Sims, has consistently expressed pride in his children’s accomplishments.
Last year, he celebrated Isaiah and Carter’s graduation from eighth grade, sharing his joy and love for his boys.