National Basketball Association

Matt Barnes, 20 pounds lighter, describes first yoga experience

Published Sep. 29, 2014 6:03 p.m. ET

foxsports

Matt Barnes should look a little different for the Clippers this season due to some offseason changes in to his routine.

Barnes said he lost 20 pounds in the offseason by eating right and practicing yoga, and he believes he's in some of the best shape he's been in his career.

"As far as my body, I lost 20 pounds this summer, started eating right and (doing) yoga," Barnes said from the Clippers media day on Monday. "Everything I could possibly do to prevent the stuff that happened last year.

"Right now, I weigh 210 pounds. I haven't weighed 210 pounds since I was in 10th grade or 11th grade, but I feel great. It's the fastest I've been, jumping. I feel good. I just took a step back and let the dust clear, then really went hard this summer."

Eating right is one thing. But a more zen Barnes thanks to Yoga?

Indeed. And once he got the hang of it, he enjoyed it.

"The first class I went to was a weird yoga class," Barnes said. "It was all ladies who were 45-60 years old, and I'm in my (tank top) and tattoos and shorts. The ladies were looking at me like, 'are you lost?' We started meditating and I could barely fold my legs.

"To come from they didn't know if I was supposed to be there to coaching me through it ... You should've seen the looks on their faces."

It's not every day a 6-foot-7 basketball player attempts yoga. Barnes didn't believe they knew he played for the Clippers.

Barnes doesn't think he's lost anything from his game at the forward spot since losing weight.

"For me to drop 20 pounds and feel as strong as I've ever been and I'm still jumping as high as I ever have," Barnes said.

Barnes believes the Clippers can contend for a championship this season, and Barnes figures he'll be better able to contribute. He took some time off after the Clippers lost to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference semifinals.

"I took a long break. Last year was, personally for me, a tough season. To be hurt in the summer, hurt in training camp, hurt the whole half of the season, then finally catching my groove after the All-Star break," he said. "So I just sat back and took some time off and just re-focused and re-dedicated myself to basketball."

Last season, Barnes played in 63 games and started 40 of those, averaging 9.9 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Barnes and the Clippers have a championship on their minds. While the Clippers franchise has never won an NBA title, it has a host of talented players that figure to make a run at it this year. The Clippers are still trying to get past their Achilles Heel, which has been the second round of the playoffs.

On Monday morning, Barnes tweeted a picture of himself with the big three -- DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul -- all dressed up with this inscription: "ITS TIME! Road to the Ring starts 2day....!"