Getty Patrick Beverley of the Chicago Bulls throws a pass against Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Patrick Beverley wasn’t short on antics against the Los Angeles Lakers during the Chicago Bulls‘ 118-108 victory on Sunday.
Beverley talked heaps of trash ahead of the matchup but got the last laugh with the win — for now. He played some stingy defense and posted 10 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds in the win.
Beverley scored a bucket late in the fourth quarter against LeBron James, which he let his former teammate hear about. Beverley did the “too small” celebration on James after the basket and then held his nose — his own way of saying the Lakers stink.
Beverley has always been known for his vocal antagonizing but explained his thinking after the game.
“I do it to everybody,” Beverley said. “I was just having fun, getting lost in the game. We’re not construction workers. We’re not guys who have to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning. We’re professional basketball players. It’s all about having fun. That’s what I tried to do.”
Beverley Says Charmin Tweet Not Trash Talk
Pat Bev did the “too small” on LeBron 💀
What caught a lot of attention was a tweet from Beverley prior to the game in which he posted himself holding some Charmin toilet paper. Most thought it was the feisty guard calling the Lakers soft but he said it was just part of a marketing push.
“I got paid a ton of money to post something,” Beverley said. “And I was late posting it, like, a week ago, so I didn’t want the window to close. Good timing? Bad timing? Whatever the f—, I don’t know. I’m not out here trying to troll anybody. I’m out here to be a basketball player. I’ll let you guys do all that.”
Beverley Says Lakers Didn’t Use Him Right
Patrick Beverley on his Charmin post:
“I got paid a ton of money to post something. And I was late posting it like a week ago, so I didn’t want the window to close…I’m not out here trying to troll anybody. I’m out here to be a basketball player.”
Beverley has been looking forward to this two-game mini-series against the Lakers since he was traded away at the deadline. Beverley initially landed with the Orlando Magic but was bought out and signed with the Bulls.
He has expressed that he wants to be the reason the Lakers don’t make the postseason and pulling off a pair of wins late in the year would hurt LA’s chances in a packed Western Conference.
Beverley’s grudge against the Lakers seems to be how he was used in the system and his lack of a voice in the direction of the team.
“If I’m a spoon, (coach) Billy (Donovan) is using me as a spoon. With the Lakers, I was a spoon and they were using me as a fork. It’s just different,” Beverley said. “But I’m fortunate that the Bulls called during the trade. I don’t want to let the city down. And obviously Billy and my players and this coaching staff, I don’t want to let them down. Just try to play the game the right way.”
The Bulls appear to be embracing Beverley’s leadership as they look to secure their own playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“He’s very, very honest and direct and I think you need that in a locker room. You need to have hard conversations. You need to be able to talk and communicate,” Donovan said. “And I don’t think he’s afraid to do that.”
The Lakers will get their shot at revenge against the Bulls on Wednesday.