Floyd Mayweather and Matt Barnes get into verbal spar at Clippers game

Floyd Mayweather duked it out with Clippers forward Matt Barnes on Friday night, but instead of fists, the two used words. It was all very weird.

It started when the highest-paid athlete in the world (Mayweather, obviously) began heckling Barnes from his court-side seats. Barnes didn’t appreciate it, according to ESPN reporter Arash Markazi.

Barnes yelled Mayweather and grabbed his groin. Mayweather yelled back at him. Barnes said, "Oh, I'm scared." Grabbed his groin again.

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) January 17, 2015

After the Clippers lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 126-121, Barnes refused to talk to reporters about the incident with Mayweather. Instead the 34-year-old told them he was only taking basketball-related questions.

“I’m trying to talk about basketball,” he said (via Fox Sports). “I don’t give a (expletive) about no one off the court. … We talk about basketball or I’m not talking.”

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers was measured in his reaction to the bizarre battle of words, noting both his disapproval and indifference.

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“I don’t like it, obviously,” Rivers said (via Fox Sports), quickly adding, however, that “Matt played well.”

He continued: “It didn’t distract him. I didn’t see it, so I don’t want to comment on it.”

Barnes racked up 17 points and had eight rebounds at the game, which was also attended by Jay-Z and Beyonce, but it wasn’t enough to surpass LeBron James’s Cavs.

Despite the loss and altercation with Mayweather, Barnes didn’t seem to stew over his odd Friday night — at least not on social media.  On a flight to Sacramento  from Los Angeles, he posted a picture of his twin boys on Instagram with the caption, “Tough loss 2nite.. Got the twins on the flight w/us to sac, they were all excited to hangout w/the team… Soon as the sat down these lil dudes was OUT!!! Love my babies lol”

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