Steph Curry's ex-teammate Matt Barnes showers 2-word praise to Alijah Arenas' dominant Damien Classic outing 

As a podcaster, Matt Barnes has his eyes on anything and everything hoops-related. That includes the next generation of hoopers — young men and women whose ceiling in the sport is practically limitless.

This past weekend, the "All the Smoke" co-host was clearly keeping tabs on "The Classic at Damien," a tournament featuring some of the best high school talents in the US. One standout who's been turning heads is Alijah Arenas, son of former All-Star Gilbert Arenas, who scored 56 on Day 2 of the tournament.

Barnes had a spot-on compliment for the star player of Chatsworth High:

Matt Barnes praises Alijah Arenas on Instagram (Credits: @ballislife Instagram)

"Easy work," Barnes said, who won an NBA title alongside Steph Curry in 2017.

The size and skill set of Alijah Arenas, who stands 6-foot-6, has drawn interest from top college programs like Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA and his father's alma mater Arizona. Like Barnes, the recruiters of the Division I universities see the abundance of talent exuded by the second-generation hooper.

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Matt Barnes watches twin sons deliver a dominant show at the Damian Classic

Barnes, of course, had his second-generation talent competing at the high school tournament. Twins Carter and Isaiah Barnes balled out on Day 3 of the tournament, getting bucket after bucket in Crespi Carmelite High School's 85-70 win over Campbell Hall. In an Instagram post by sports videographer Abraham Perez, the twins' dad could be seen taking in their game from courtside.

The same clip shows Crespi coach Derek Fisher calling his players to a huddle. This draws attention to the fact that Fisher is coaching Barnes' sons, with whom he had a well-publicized incident in 2015. Ironically, this incident stemmed from Barnes' concerns for the well-being of his children.

A little over two years after the incident, Barnes appeared on "Hot 97" and said that the beef between him and Fisher had been squashed.

"It's crazy I say this — Derek and I get along better than I get along with my ex," Barnes said in this 2018 interview. "You know, we squashed — I told him why I came at him the way I did, and he understood." [3:52]

This explains how Matt Barnes can sit casually at courtside while entrusting the hoops development of his sons to a man he'd once confronted. As the Carter twins' progress through their basketball careers, the "All the Smoke" co-host will continue to be in their proximity.