"Stayed my a** off Twitter" - Patrick Beverley explains Lakers fans' brutal retribution for failing to meet their expectations
Patrick Beverley had a quick stint with the LA Lakers playing in 45 games for the Purple and Gold in the 2022-23 season. Even with that short span, it was enough for the NBA veteran to get immersed in the pressure of being part of the team with one of the biggest fan bases in the world.
In an interview on his own podcast, Beverley bared that he should have done more research about the Lakers fan base before going there. More than that, he was asked what he would have done better during his time there:
"Stayed my a** off Twitter. Straight up," Beverley said.
In 45 games with the Lakers, he provided the team with 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists while playing an average of 26.9 minutes a night. Even with his reputation as a lockdown defender and a serviceable bench player, it was seemingly never enough for the Lakers fan base:
"I ain’t gon’ lie. Lakers fan base a motherf—–. They want you to score 30 every night," Beverley said. "And the day you score 27, ‘Trade him. He’s a bum.’ Yeah, Lakers fan base tough.”
Beverley last played for the Lakers on Feb. 7, 2023, against the OKC Thunder on the night that LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record. The Lakers were 25-30 at the time but managed to make a strong run at the end of the season. They eventually made it to the Western Conference Finals to get beaten by then-champions, the Denver Nuggets.
Patrick Beverley also feels for his friends and teammates who felt the pressure of being part of LA Lakers
During his time with the LA Lakers, Patrick Beverley did not just have a chance to team up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but also with the likes of Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schroeder.
The ex-Arkansas Razorback guard said that all his teammates, including former Minnesota Timberwolves player D'Angelo Russell, faced criticism from Lakers fans, particularly after Russell joined the team via a mid-season trade:
“Not only with me though but you seen it throughout my teammates,” Beverley said. “You seen it, obviously, through Russ. I see it through D-Lo [D’Angelo Russell]. But, it comes with the legacy they have also.”
Beverley was later traded to the Chicago Bulls where he would spend the rest of the 2022-23 season and maintained an average of 5.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.5 apg and 1.0 spg.
Fast forward to today, Patrick Beverley hopped to play with the Philadelphia 76ers at the start of the 2023-24 season and was subsequently traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he has played four games so far.