Patrick Beverley gives shell-shocked reaction to "Free Gaza and Palestine" audio clip on stream
Patrick Beverley left the NBA last season to play in Israel for the 2024 season. In his Israeli club, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Beverley saw firsthand the current state of the country as they live every day with the country’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
In a recent stream, Beverley had a shell-shocked reaction to an audio that said, "Free Palestine and the Gaza holocaust." The Gaza War is an ongoing battle between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militant groups in the Gaza strip, which has caused the death of innumerable people.
Beverley immediately went wide-eyed as soon as he heard the clip, while his companion in the stream kept a calm and collected demeanor.
“Did you hear that,” Beverley, who remained wide-eyed for about 20 seconds, said. “Free Gaza, and Palestine.”
So far, Beverley has played eight games with the Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Israeli Basketball Pro League, averaging 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in 19.3 minutes played.
It was the 36-year-old guard’s first international basketball stint in 12 years after starting his professional career in Ukraine in 2008.
He last played in the NBA last season with the Milwaukee Bucks, ending a 12-year run in the league, which recognized him as part of the All-Defensive team three times.
Patrick Beverley explains his decision to play in the Israeli league
During his latter years in the NBA, Patrick Beverley started a podcast called “The Pat Bev Podcast.” Always known as a vocal player, Beverley used his podcast to voice out his views on numerous issues surrounding the NBA.
In the podcast, he also explained why he chose to sign with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel, despite the dangers of being in the country.
“Safety is important. If a bomb goes off, I’m gone,” Beverley said. “I haven’t got knowledge of any unsafe places in Tel Aviv now. My old teammate told me that in every apartment, there is a bomb room, and he used it to hang up clothes. He was there three or four months last season, and nothing happened,” he added.
He also clarified that his decision was based on basketball alone, despite the concerns around the country’s armed conflict against neighboring Palestine. He said an American player appeased his concerns about the safety of the country.
“I want people to know that my decision is always based on basketball. I got family members and homies that die in Chicago every single day that no one speaks about, but when I make a decision to go play basketball, everyone now is like the smartest expert of what’s going on in the world.
"It’s the funniest thing to me. I’m talking to an American who played there; he says it’s paradise. He went to the beach every single day, six hours a day, and had no bad experience.”
It's clear that Beverly has liked the experience of playing in Israel, however, he can't avoid the questions that are bound to be raised due to the country being at war.