Anyone can acknowledge that Patrick Beverley has more than a couple screws loose. The veteran NBA guard is a known pest, particularly as a defensive player, but he also has something of a prickly personality. You know, that classic “love him if he’s on your team, hate him otherwise” type guy. Except, do any of his actual teammates or fans from certain teams actually like him, much less love him?
Given that Beverley has played for six different NBA franchises since 2020, it’s safe to assume he isn’t universally beloved wherever he goes. When the highlight of your career is a meme of you crying joyful tears to illustrate just how petty and pedantic the human race can be, you might not be the most likable dude.
Neither here nor there. Wouldn’t care what Beverley’s reputation was entering the Bucks’ eventual elimination loss to the Pacers in Indiana. Beverley was only 3-for-11 shooting for six points in Milwaukee’s 120-98 defeat, but his conduct outside the court was much uglier. He threw a ball in the stands that hit a woman in the face, and then tried to laser it back at somebody else moments later.
PatBev just chucked the ball at a fan at the end of the game. pic.twitter.com/UKrliCZUF7
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) May 3, 2024
Charles Barkley and the rest of the TNT crew laid into him:
“That’s just wrong, he’s gonna get suspended for that. And a good one too, he threw it twice.”
I understand sports fans can show off the worst sides of any collection of humans on the face of the Earth. However, no matter how provoked you are, you can’t retaliate if you’re a professional athlete — especially with physical force.
I’d love spectators to be more respectful in a perfect world, but there are sh*theads out there who won’t stop. So while I understand where Beverley is coming from in his halfhearted apology…
Not Fair at all. Exchanged between a fan and our ball club all night. We warned and asked for help all night. Not fair. 🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️ https://t.co/e2o0lcqZtg
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) May 3, 2024
But I have to be better. And I will 🙏🏾❤️
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) May 3, 2024
…There is just no upside to popping off like this.
Oh but Pat Bev wasn’t done. After the game, a respected ESPN producer asked him a question, and when she revealed that she wasn’t a subscriber to his podcast, he refused to acknowledge her the rest of the way.
Patrick Beverley: "You subscribed to my pod?"
Reporter: "I do not."
Pat Bev: "You can't interview me then. No disrespect."
*A moment later to the reporter*
Pat: "Can you move that mic please or just get out the circle please?"
(via @AlexGoldenNBA)pic.twitter.com/5pnLF7i0cE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 3, 2024
Good grief. I’ve learned that this isn’t a new thing, as Beverley has consistently turned down interview requests with local Bucks reporters who don’t subscribe.
this is unfortunatley nothing new beverley has refused to talk to any of us in milwaukee who do not subscribe to his podcast since he arrived at the trade deadline https://t.co/SXbJUpd3iE
— jack maloney (@jackmaloneycbs) May 3, 2024
Straight-up nightmare fuel for the Bucks organization and their supporters. Not to mention, Doc Rivers coming from a TV gig to coach the team in the middle of the season is still one of the strangest moves in recent history.
After Charles Barkley’s recent endorsement of Darvin Ham and Frank Vogel as good coaches, the same grace should be afforded to Rivers, especially since he had to navigate the playoffs without his best player, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Honestly hat tip to Doc Rivers for taking an insane amount of money to lose and knowing he was going to lose the whole time and telling us he was going to lose the entire time and then losing.
That’s good stuff.
— Brendan Vogt (@BrendanVogt) May 3, 2024
Beverley is taking a lot of heat from respected media personalities. I mean, when Windy is telling you that you’re in the wrong, you’re probably in the wrong.
Veteran producer Malinda Adams happens to be one of the most respected and professional people we have at ESPN. Bev, you’re going to have to make a couple apologies for stuff tonight. https://t.co/KdQ0VuGoyg
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) May 3, 2024
Plenty of time for podcasting now that he’s out of the playoffs. And he might have some extra free time in the form of a suspension after throwing that ball at a fan earlier in the night.
Also, this is producer Malinda Adams, one of the most beloved people at ESPN. Not cool. https://t.co/lmn8AQAORA
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) May 3, 2024
Guys… he’s a clown. He’s always been a clown. He’ll always be a clown.
He went on SportsCenter in a Versace robe like he was Ali because he won a play-in game.
He called one of the greatest PGs ever a “cone”.
He never takes accountability AND he’s a dirty player.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) May 3, 2024
Is PatBev gonna have the podcast translated to Russian or are the reporters covering him next year gonna get a pass?
— nick wright (@getnickwright) May 3, 2024
Adding insult to the injury of it all, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton trolled Beverley afterwards in very specific fashion, clapping back at him for a slight earlier in this six-game series.
Tyrese Haliburton tweeted the same thing about Pat Bev after eliminating the Bucks as Dame did last season 👀
Earlier in the series, Pat Bev was asked about Haliburton and said if he gave someone the ball for 41 minutes, they would also have 10 assists. pic.twitter.com/0Hdh5bJhJg
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 3, 2024
The Bucks had their work cut out trying to advance through the playoffs with Giannis out of the lineup. Damian Lillard gutted through an injury of his own to put up 28 points on Thursday night. Just wasn’t enough.
I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess, Beverley won’t be part of Milwaukee’s redemptive, hopefully-healthy push for a championship next season. Will a seventh different team give him a chance to continue his career? I’d say he’s exhausted his surprising abundance of continued opportunities to make a good impression. Beverley also turns 36 in July. All those years of wisdom evidently escaped his cranium in this latest game, because you’d hope for more maturity from such a seasoned vet. Alas, that’s what we’ve come to expect from Pat Bev.
