Patrick Beverly isn’t in awe of LeBron James or Anthony Davis and here’s why

While there may be some who will raise an eyebrow at the stance, that the Lakers new signing has taken with some of his high-profile teammates, did anyone truly expect anything different?

Patrick Beverly doesn’t care one bit

When looking at Patrick Beverly’s career in the NBA - 10 years to be precise - it would be a stretch to say that he’s been exceptional in any major category. Indeed, Beverly isn’t a high scorer nor is he the defensive general that we see in Marcus Smart for example. What Beverly is, however, is something that very few players - if any - in the league are and that’s an absolute warrior. The Lakers new boy has made a name and career on the back of fighting. Whether on the court, with the media or on podcasts, the bottom line is: there is nobody that can make Patrick Beverly back down.

Why do we mention this? Simply, because according to recent reports, Beverly who only joined the Lakers this very summer, has no problems making the point that the opportunity he’s been given to play alongside the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, isn’t something special nor should he be thankful for it. What did he have to say about it? “They’re gonna be playing with me,” Beverley stated. “I made the playoffs last year, they didn’t.”

LeBron James and Patrick Beverly have history but not the bad kind

If nothing else, you’ve got to respect the belief that the man has in his own game and in truth it would be hard to argue that he doesn’t back it up. Make no mistake, this wasn’t just a provocative soundbite from Beverly. It was very much the truth, as fans will remember Beverley was part of the Minnesota Timberwolves who very much made the playoffs this season gone, while the Lakers failed to get out of the play-in tournament.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that Beverly and James have crossed paths. To that end, it wasn’t so long ago that he disclosed he still held a grudge against LeBron’s former team, the Miami Heat who actually cut Beverly in his rookie season, just after they acquired James. “I played with Miami, with LeBron and they cut me,” Beverley said at the time in 2019 while playing with the Clippers. “I got drafted by the Lakers, they traded me to Miami. Bron got there, they cut me. I remember it like it was yesterday, so yeah, it’s a chip on my shoulder.” It’s worth mentioning, however, that combative point guard went on to add that James is “like a big brother.” Good news for Lakers fans. They only thing that’s left, is to see whether or not the introduction of his fighting spirit can spur the Lakers to greater heights this coming season. If nothing else, it’s going to be one heck of a show.