Former NBA player Matt Barnes is a supporter of the transgender community, but he is not a fan of trans women participating in certain sports leagues.
During an interview with Vlad TV, Barnes was asked about trans players joining the WNBA, and shared his thoughts about the topic.
“Whatever you’re born, I think you should play in that space,” Barnes said. “I’m pro make your choice, but sports is different. If you’re born a woman, I think you should play women[‘s] sports, and if you’re born a man, you should play men[‘s] sports.”
Barnes and Vlad then used NCAA swimming champion Lia Thomas as an example. Thomas made headlines after it was revealed that she was born a male but began hormone therapy in 2019.
Vlad also used an example of a current NBA player going to play for the WNBA.
“Imagine if Kevin Durant put on a wig,” Vlad said. “The score would be like 100 to 0 in every game.”
“It would change the whole dynamic of the game,” Barnes replied. “To each its own, but when it comes to sports, I … that line shouldn’t be crossed.”
