"Gotta get my relationship right with Dame" - Patrick Beverley instantly addresses his shady relationship with Damian Lillard after Bucks trade
Patrick Beverley is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. However, he needs to put in some work with the locker room before suiting up. Beverley posted a video after finding out the news. In the clip, he revealed an interesting potential problem by joining the Bucks.
“I gotta get my relationship right with Dame,” Patrick Beverley said. “It’s time to win a championship.”
Bucks guard Damian Lillard and Patrick Beverley have beef. The two got into it during the 2020 bubble.
Lillard missed clutch free-throws during a game against Beverley’s Clippers. The veteran guard then mocked Lillard by copying his signature “Dame Time” celebration where he taps his wrist. The clip went viral of Beverley laughing on the bench after Lillard missed the free-throws.
Lillard commented after the game. He threw some shade towards Patrick Beverley, saying his has eliminated his teams from the playoffs before. Beverley mocked Lillard once again by copying his celebration while he was on the LA Lakers in a game against Lillard’s Blazers in 2023.
Lillard is open to working with Beverley. He commented on the trade in a quote to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
"First, I want to say I’m sad to see Cam [Payne] go. We developed a friendship that I cherish. As for Pat, he brings an edge and a defensive tenacity on the perimeter that we need. There are not many players who bring it on a nightly like him. I look forward to working together. Our past personal issues don’t trump an opportunity to win a championship."
All water under the bridge if the two can lead the Bucks to another NBA title. It would be the first championship for either veteran player.
Why did the Bucks trade for Patrick Beverley?
The Milwaukee Bucks swapped one backup point guard for another in acquiring Patrick Beverley from the Philadelphia 76ers for Cameron Payne. The move reunites Beverley with his former coach Doc Rivers.
“Doc going to let me do my thing over there,” Patrick Beverley said.
The two were together for three seasons with the LA Clippers from 2017-20. Rivers was then let go by the Clippers, and joined the Sixers' bench a year later.
Beverley is a pest on the floor and a questionable locker room fit. Rivers appears to endorse his grit and wants to coach the controversial guard once again.
The Bucks could use Beverley’s defensive intensity in the backcourt. They have struggled this season to guard the perimeter and stay in front of opposing guards.
Beverley is a do-it-all role player. He makes the most of his limited minutes. This season, he is 6.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game with the Sixers. He was averaging 19.6 minutes per game in 47 games for Nick Nurse.