‘Other s***’: Former Laker reveals real reason behind NBA powerhouse’s underlying struggles
In just some phrases, Patrick Beverley stated all of it.
The NBA veteran and notorious provocateur was traded by the Lakers on the deadline to the Orlando Magic in alternate for centre Mo Bamba, spending only a half-season in Los Angeles with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Watch a mean of 9 LIVE NBA Regular Season video games per week on ESPN on Kayo Sports on ESPN on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
With the Lakers nonetheless struggling to combat for a playoff spot, Beverley sounded off on an episode of “The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone” to debate the crew’s underlying points.
“It wasn’t basketball,” stated Beverley, who was waived by the Magic on Sunday and is a free agent.
“It wasn’t basketball. It wasn’t basketball. It was other s–t. But other s–t that you really can’t like pin or point out. You know, comes and goes. You know, a little bit here, a little bit there.”
As of Wednesday, the Lakers are 26-32, 2 1/2 video games again from the Utah Jazz for the ultimate seed within the play-in match.
Even with James and Davis wholesome, the playoffs seem like a stretch – and Beverley appeared to suppose the crew had points that stretched past the courtroom.
Perhaps a type of points was Russell Westbrook, who was a brutal slot in Los Angeles for his 130 video games there between 2021 and 2023.
Hauser’s CRAZY 3 not sufficient to high Bucks | 01:09
MORE COVERAGE
NBA Wrap: Bucks clinch insane OT thriller after Giannis damage scare; KD will get standing ovation
‘Should have zero confidence in him’: Broken $307m NBA star merely ‘doesn’t make sense’
Aussie rapper Iggy Azalea ‘shoots her shot’ with NBA star
The Lakers did commerce him, too, on the deadline, securing a variety of items together with level guard D’Angelo Russell in alternate.
Westbrook was despatched to the Jazz, although a buyout is anticipated within the coming days.
A supply informed ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that Westbrook was like a “vampire” within the locker room – a lot to the chagrin of Westbrook’s spouse, Nina, who sounded off on social media concerning the report.
“This is just sick ESPN … Russell is no vampire,” Nina wrote on social media. “This also slander because anyone who knows anything knows that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Beverley defended Westbrook on the same episode.
“You see how Russ is every game day, the first person in the locker room. Every single game. And I’m on the first bus. LeBron on the first bus too. There are some vets in the league that only take the third bus,” Beverley stated.
“That’s my dog. Lifetime,” he added.
The Lakers have gone 1-2 since Westbrook left the crew, although that did embody a street victory over the defending champion Golden State Warriors. It stays to be seen if Los Angeles can rally within the season’s last month-and-a-half, although Beverley doesn’t appear overly optimistic.
This story initially appeared on the New York Post and has been reposted with permission
