“Russell Westbrook damaged my career”: Patrick Beverley doesn’t mince his words when talking about the Lakers star’s ‘running around’ comments towards him

Patrick Beverley admits that Russell Westbrook damaged his career with what he said in terms of him ‘running around’. 

The beef that exists between Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley is one that is very much real to this day. The difference in the caliber of player that the two are is very apparent. Russ is an MVP level player on his good days while Pat Bev is a scrappy perimeter defender who fights through screens and goes for steals. 

With being perimeter players, the two were bound to clash into one another and given their rather explosive personalities, were even more bound to quarrel. This is exactly what has been happening for nearly a decade in spurts.

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It started with Patrick Beverley lunging at the ball in Westbrook’s hand during Game 2 of a first round series in 2013 between the Thunder and the Rockets. Russell Westbrook, who was holding the ball, tore his meniscus due to this collision. 

Ever since then, it has been a war of words between the two and it hasn’t simmered down with the turn of the decade either. 

Patrick Beverley on Russell Westbrook damaging his career. 

On one fine day, Russell Westbrook took to a postgame locker room interview to say that Patrick Beverley does nothing but run around the court for all 48 minutes that the game is played. According to Pat Bev, this one comment by Russ damaged his career.

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Coaches and players across the league saw him in a different light after these comments by the 2017 star. He admits this on the OM3 podcast with JJ Redick and Tommy Alter. 

The topic of Russell Westbrook comes up after Beverley, this past trade deadline, took to his Twitter to take shots at Russ for the comments he made years ago about him tricking everybody on offense and just running around. 

“I remember when somebody said all I do is run around and I trick y’all. Well, my boy is the real magician this year.” 

I remember when somebody said all I do is run around and I trick y’all 😂 well my boy is The Real Magician this year.

— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 10, 2022