Patrick Beverley recently sat down with GQ where he participated in their “Actually Me” segment. Going undercover, Pat Bev answered many fans’ burning questions. One thing that caught his eye among other things was a statement from one fan. Pointing to the unexpected friendship between Russell Westbrook and Beverley during their stint with the Lakers, the fan claimed that they didn’t see it coming. For the most part, Beverley agreed with the sentiment, especially considering the fact that they had 10 years’ worth of beef. Nevertheless, 45 games together at the Crypto.com arena proved to be more than enough for them to become fast friends.
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Russ and Beverley have been at each other’s throats for ages. Dating back to over a decade ago, the two couldn’t stand each other. In fact, some may even say that Beverley’s actions may have put Westbrook out of commission at one point in time. But all that changed once they both ended up in Purple and Gold colors. And while they might not be playing for the Lakers anymore, the rapport between the two is still there.
Patrick Beverley praises Russell Westbrook and addresses their unexpected friendship
Recalling the bad blood they held for each other before, Patrick Beverley resonated with a statement a fan made about his relationship with Russell Westbrook, during a GQ segment. For the longest time, the two despised each other and constantly traded shots both on and off the court. It all started 10 years ago in 2013 when a collision between the two caused Westbrook a season-ending injury.
However, all that changed once they both ended up in LA. Agreeing with the fan who claimed that their friendship was unexpected, Beverley admitted to being equally surprised about the connection he formed with Russ. Despite their previous encounters, the two established quite a rapport during their time with the Lakers.
According to Bev, Westbrook was always there for him, from his first press conference to even sharing Christmas dinner together. After their 45 games together in LA, Pat Bev had this to say to the comment, “Bev and Russ becoming best friends was something I didn’t see coming“:
“Me neither! On God…me neither! Russ [Westbrook] the homie. Russ really the homie. Really, Russ the bro! When I first came to LA he was the first person to kind of like, ‘Anything you need?’, and he was at my press conference. Throughout the season…dinners, wines…fat wines. Fat wines all the time. We had a Christmas dinner together, think about that! Me and Russ. [Westbrook is] Misunderstood, really misunderstood. An NBA great. Legend for sure!”
It’s great to see the two stars put all the hatred they had for each other aside. As of now, the two are no longer on the same team. Brodie finds himself with the Los Angeles Clippers, while Pat Bev has made the move to Philly where he is now repping the Philadelphia 76ers. There is no guarantee they will meet each other in the playoffs again, but if they do, it will certainly be nothing but love and respect.
Pat Bev called out the Lakers for not using Russ to his full potential
Around the trade deadline last year, Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook were traded away from the Lakers. Russ stayed back in LA, but with the Clippers, and Pat Bev took his talents to the Chicago Bulls. Months after the trade, Beverley came out in support of Brodie, proving just how strong their friendship is.
He claimed that the Lakers mismanaged Russ and did not use him to his full potential. In his opinion, the Purple and Gold did not get the best out of Westbrook who was the “heartbeat” of the team, and they should have started the two of them alongside Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.
It’s true that both their stints with the Lakers didn’t pan out as they had hoped. But that is all in the past now and the two will be gearing up for the upcoming 2023-2024 season. A season where they can perhaps prove their former employers wrong.
