Markieff Morris Says 'F--k J.J. Barea' After Saying Wizards Don't Like John Wall
The beef between the Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks doesn't appear to be subsiding anytime soon after Wizards forward Markieff Morris unloaded on Mavericks guard J.J. Barea.
Following Dallas' 98-75 win over Washington on Monday, Barea told reporters he didn't like Wizards guard John Wall and said, "I don't think his teammates like him, either," per ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon.
The Washington Post's Candace Buckner shared Morris' censored response:
Wall discussed the situation as well.
"I've never had a teammate say he didn’t like me. If it’s true, nobody would be man enough to say it to me so I don’t believe it," he said, per Buckner. "I don't let that affect me. I probably could've used a better word than 'little midget.' I could've called him a 'little guy.'"
Wall was responsible for the opening salvo when he called the 6'0" Barea "just a little midget trying to get mad," according to Buckner.
Wall and Barea had a brief argument in the fourth quarter of Monday's game. Barea committed an offensive foul on Kelly Oubre, which led to Barea and Wall jawing near the Wizards bench. Referees assessed Barea a technical foul before things simmered down.
Morris took exception to the comment, but Barea's postgame swipe at Wall was at least rooted in what has been a major storyline surrounding the Wizards.
Wall and Bradley Beal have acknowledged their past difficulties in jelling on the court, while Buckner reported on a Wizards team meeting in which Beal said the team "didn't accomplish what we needed to accomplish" because not every Wizards player was afforded an opportunity air his grievances. Wall also said the meeting "kind of set us back a little bit."
Despite all this, Washington is certainly putting on a united front with regard to Barea's trash talk.
Monday's game between the Wizards and Mavericks was their final head-to-head matchup this season, so both teams will have to wait until next season before resuming their budding rivalry on the court.
