L.A. Clippers star Matt Barnes is apologizing for calling the cop who arrested him a fag*ot and a pus*y.

GameTimeGirl

Barnes tells TMZ, “I would like to apologize for the unfortunate language I used.  I know that certain words are extremely hurtful.”

Barnes goes on:  “I meant absolutely no disrespect to anyone.  This comment, spoken in the heat of a difficult moment, does not accurately reflect my actual point of view.”

As we first reported, Barnes and the cop clearly had beef.  The same officer stopped Barnes twice before and waited nearly 2 hours in a Manhattan Beach, CA parking lot last July for Barnes to leave a restaurant — then arresting him for driving on a suspended license and resisting arrest (you can watch the footage here).

TMZ