Matt Barnes: Kobe's 'Breaking Down Barriers' for Athletes, I Got a Movie, Too!

Kobe Bryant's Oscar win has gotten mixed reviews amid the #MeToo movement, but Matt Barnes is 100% behind his ex-NBA rival -- giving Bryant mad props for paving the way for sports stars.

"I think it's dope. He's breaking down barriers, still being great," Barnes told TMZ Sports out at Poppy in Hollywood.

Want proof? Matt says things are really coming together for a Huey Newton/Black Panthers biopic he's producing ... and he can't wait to tell "the whole truth" behind the real BP (sorry, Marvel).