Marvin Barnes once received a plane ticket from Louisville to St. Louis. However, upon studying it closely, the then-ABA superstar noticed something—at least for him—bewildering.
The arrival time (7:56 AM) at the destination was actually earlier than the departure time (8:00 AM) from the origin. This was evidently too much for Marvin to handle, and he refused to board the flight. Before renting a car instead, 'Bad News Barnes' offered a humorous explanation for his decision.
"I'm not getting on any time machine," he remarked, per Syracuse .
Time zone "mystery"
Traveling is a regular part of a professional athlete's life. The late Barnes, whose pro basketball career spanned 12 years, was no exception. One might assume that all the traveling would have helped Marvin understand how time zones work. However, this hilarious moment proved otherwise, so here's a quick explanation.
The United States is one of the largest countries in the world and spans several longitudes. As the Earth rotates from west to east, it causes the sun to rise earlier in eastern regions than in western ones. To better align daily activities with natural light conditions, the US is divided into six time zones.
Two cities located in different states of the United States are Louisville in Kentucky and St. Louis in Missouri. Despite being relatively close in proximity—a five-hour drive, as Barnes would then know—they are in different time zones, namely the Eastern Time Zone (ET) and the Central Time Zone (CT).
Barnes embodied 'Bad News'
The former player often lived up to the 'Bad News Barnes' moniker on the court, especially in the ABA. Marvin played there for two seasons, averaging 21.4 points, 13.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game. He won the ABA's ROY award and earned back-to-back All-Star selections in the mid-70s.
However, the talented forward frequently caused 'Bad News' for his own teams. A prime illustration of his antics came with the Spirits of St. Louis, where one of his coaches once exclaimed about the 6'8" forward, " he's really something else ."
Besides numerous stories about Marvin's escapades, including getting high on the Boston Celtics bench , there is another one involving air travel.
The Rhode Island native once missed a flight and arrived just 10 minutes before tip-off, carrying McDonald's hamburgers and fries. Fueled by this exceptionally healthy meal, Marvin played outstandingly, scoring 43 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. Nothing more perfectly captured the duality of 'Bad News Barnes.'
Related: "Trashes America and disrespects the flag" - Enes Freedom takes offense at LeBron James being the U.S. flag bearer
Most Popular
Comments / 0