The Patrick Beverley-Russell Westbrook beef runs deep. And it’s a beef that Beverley stirred up once again on Thursday in the midst of a Lakers tailspin and swirling trade rumors.
For the uninitiated, some quick background: During a first-round series between the Rockets and Thunder way back in 2013, Beverley collided with Westbrook’s knee on a steal attempt, resulting in a torn right meniscus for Westbrook. There have been multiple confrontations since Westbrook suffered that injury, which dashed Oklahoma City’s dreams of winning a championship.
One of the defining moments of the personal rivalry came after a 2019 game between the Clippers and Rockets in which Beverley’s primary assignment, James Harden, finished with 47 points. (It should be noted Harden did most of his damage against Los Angeles’ other defenders.) During his postgame media availability, Westbrook dismissed the idea that Beverley is an elite defender.
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“Pat Bev trick y’all, man, like he play defense,” Westbrook said at the time. “He don’t guard nobody, man. He just running around, doing nothing.”
Russell Westbrook (@russwest44)on Pat Beverley (@patbev21): “Pat Bev trick y’all man, like he play defense. He don’t guard nobody man. He just running around doing nothing..As you seen what happened 47. All that commotion and (@jharden) got 47.” pic.twitter.com/WaJ5D0Q1U5
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 14, 2019
Beverley, now a member of the Timberwolves, didn’t forget about that quote. With Westbrook and the Lakers in the midst of what has been an incredibly disappointing season, Beverley didn’t miss an opportunity to kick a man while he’s down.
“I remember when somebody said all I do is run around and I trick y’all,” Beverley tweeted on Thursday. “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
The timing of the tweet couldn’t have been much better for Beverley or worse for Westbrook. The Lakers (26-30) have lost seven of their last 10 games, dropping them down to No. 9 in the Western Conference standings. The Timberwolves (29-26), meanwhile, have won seven of their last 10 games, pushing them up to the No. 7 seed.
Westbrook isn’t the sole reason why Los Angeles has failed to live up to expectations — he couldn’t be blamed for Wednesday night’s disappointing loss to Portland because he sat out with lower back tightness — but it’s clear the Lakers’ “Big Three” experiment isn’t working. The nine-time All-Star is averaging 18.3 points per game, his lowest mark since 2009-10, and he hasn’t changed his style in order to make an impact in other areas.
As The Athletic’s Bill Oram reported on Wednesday, the Lakers “no longer believe they can win at a high level” with Westbrook playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Unfortunately for LA, there is no easy path back to being a true title contender. General manager Rob Pelinka is low on assets, so the core group is not expected to change much before Thursday’s trade deadline.
And so it seems the Lakers schadenfreude will continue, much to the delight of one of Westbrook’s biggest foes.