Former NBA player Matt Barnes recently provided an update on his son Isaiah, who was hospitalized following an appendectomy.
On Sunday, August 25, the 44-year-old retired athlete shared a post on Instagram, revealing that his high school-aged son had endured a challenging week.
"My guys had a tough week," Barnes wrote in the caption. "Got hit by a car while jogging on Wednesday 🤦🏽♂️, then suffered a severe stomach ache on Friday but still tried to push through the Mamba Invitational" — a prestigious high school basketball tournament named in honor of the late Kobe Bryant.
"He couldn’t sleep at all Friday night and finally decided to tell his mom and me yesterday when he couldn’t move," Barnes continued. "I took him to the emergency room, where he had to undergo emergency appendix surgery."
"The doctor said it was the largest appendix he had ever seen that hadn’t ruptured 🙏🏽," Barnes added, sharing a photo of his son in a hospital bed. "We appreciate the love and support from family and friends!! We’re heading home ❤️."
Isaiah's mother and Barnes' ex-wife, Gloria Govan, also shared updates on her Instagram Stories. On Saturday, she posted that while Isaiah’s twin brother, Carter, was participating in the basketball tournament, Isaiah was "waiting on surgery."
"It’s minor... kinda," the Basketball Wives L.A. alum, 39, wrote. "An appendicitis, but still!"
Isaiah, who plays basketball at Crespi Carmelite High School in California, also shared some updates about his condition.
On Saturday, he posted a photo from his hospital bed on Instagram Stories with the caption: "[About] to go under." On Sunday, he shared another update: "We made it y'all."
He also reposted his dad’s photo and wrote, "Been one tough week, man." After being discharged, Isaiah posted a photo of a car pulling up to the hospital, likely to take him home.
"Discharged," Isaiah wrote, adding a prayer hands emoji. "Thank you to everyone for the prayers."
Following Isaiah's surgery, Matt Barnes posted a video of Isaiah reuniting with his twin brother, Carter, after returning home. The two brothers shared a hug, with Carter inspecting Isaiah's new scar.
"Missed you, man," Carter could be heard saying in the heartwarming clip.
Besides his twin boys, Matt is also the father of a son named Ashton, whom he shares with his fiancée, model Anansa Sims. The retired basketball star frequently expresses his pride and support for his children on social media. Last year, he celebrated Isaiah and Carter’s eighth-grade graduation with a series of photos.
"14 years later, and you're off to high school!! Words can’t express how proud I am of you two," the proud father wrote at the time, sharing a picture of the boys with their younger brother at the graduation. "Continue to move with honor, morals, principles, and respect as you navigate this next chapter🙏🏽. I love you two with all my heart."
Matt Barnes enjoyed a 14-season career in the NBA, including stints with the Lakers, Clippers, and Kings.
The Quran - Chapter Al-Mulk : 22 - 23
Who is ˹rightly˺ guided: the one who crawls facedown or the one who walks upright on the Straight Path?
Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “He is the One Who brought you into being and gave you hearing, sight, and intellect. ˹Yet˺ you hardly give any thanks.”
