Patrick Beverley elaborates on his “too small” celebration after scoring on LeBron James- “It’s all about having fun"
Patrick Beverley has never been a player to back down from anyone. This includes his former teammate and one of the best basketball players ever: LeBron James.
Beverley made headlines for breaking out his "too small" celebration after scoring a late basket against James. There was plenty of emotion in the air after he was traded from the Lakers at his request and eventually landed with the Chicago Bulls following a buyout with the Orlando Magic. Sunday was his first matchup back in Los Angeles, and the scrappy guard was sure to make the most of it.
Pat Beverley said LeBron is too small. 🤣 https://t.co/GazJjfbZTB
Following the 118-108 victory, Beverley did his best to downplay the celebration:
"I do it to everybody," Beverley said. "Just having fun, getting lost in the game having fun, man. You know, we're not construction workers. We're not guys that have to get up a 4 o'clock in the morning. We're professional basketball players. It's all about having fun, man."
"I do it to everybody... We're not construction workers. We're not guys that have to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning. We're professional basketball players. It's all about having fun."
Patrick Beverley on his "too small" celebration after scoring on https://t.co/DSNkiTjwwJ… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Beverley's hard feelings for the Lakers?
Pat Beverley spent the first 45 games this season with the Lakers, averaging 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists in his 29.4 minutes per game. The Lakers have underperformed for most of the season, and it was a surprise when he revealed on his podcast, "The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone," that he requested a trade.
He landed in his hometown of Chicago, where he is now representing the Bulls. Beverley's impact has been felt as he has had more of a voice on the younger franchise that was in need of leadership. Through his first 15 games, Beverley has averaged 6.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 3.8 apg.
His impact has been felt beyond the numbers as the Bulls are 10-5 in games that he has played. During this time, Chicago also ranks in the top five in net rating and defensive rating as well as the top 10 in offensive rating.
Chicago Bulls since adding Pat Bev to the rotation:
— Top 5 record
— Top 5 net rating
— Top 5 defensive rating
— Top 10 offensive rating https://t.co/vHi4fZL5Vs
Both the Bulls and Lakers are heavily in the playoff hunt with the season winding down. Beverley has made the playoffs every season he has been in the NBA, and the spark that he provides to contenders is a notable reason why Chicago targeted him.
Chicago (36-38) sits in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, in the last play-in slot, with eight games remaining in the regular season. The Bulls are just a half-game behind the eighth-place Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors (both 37-38) and 3.5 behind the seventh-place Miami Heat (40-35).
They may still be shy of expectations coming into the season, but it is promising that the Bulls are playing their basketball at the right time. Beverley and the rest of the roster will be a team to keep an eye on as the season comes to a close.