The Chicago Bulls guard Patrick Beverley has been in the headline since his departure from the Los Angeles Lakers in February, and his recent game against the former team incites more heat than expected.
Patrick was known for his antics and unique display of gestures on the court; following the tradition, he pulled a ‘too small’ celebration in front of Lakers star Lebron James after scoring a basket and defeating him. The stunt appeared as audacity to a large portion of the NBA community.
Pat Bev did the "too small" on LeBron đź’€ pic.twitter.com/VweeoypwXJ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 26, 2023
However, it’s not always what it seems on the court, and the Bulls guard revealed the reason for making such a gesture on Sunday night.
Why did Patrick Beverley celebrate in that way?
After the game, the 34-year-old explained his motive for doing the ‘too small’ celebration in front of the four-time NBA champion and former teammate. “I do it to everybody. Just having fun, getting lost in the game, having fun, man,” he said calmly, sitting in the locker room.
“You know, we’re not construction workers. We’re not guys that have to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning,” the EuroCup MVP added. “We’re professional basketball players. It’s all about having fun, man.”
P@L3Br0n pic.twitter.com/lCSL8WBQGu
— Diamond Dog (@DiamondDogzzz) March 27, 2023
In his defense, it’s all right to do such things during the game, and that might put a little pressure on his opponent’s mind. But in this case, Lebron was way too valuable to be on the receiving end of such mocking, and the 6.1-footer knew it.
There’s a longstanding bitter experience between Beverley and the Lakers; he had to go through seven different franchises before making his debut for the Lakers, who picked him in the second round of the 2009 NBA draft. He made his Lakers debut last year and couldn’t even finish a full season for them.
Prior to the game, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the Lakers’ management and criticized their decision to use him improperly. He proved his point right after defeating his former team on the court by scoring 10 points with four rebounds and five assists.
The Bulls will face the Lakers tonight on the return schedule at the United Center. Can Patrick Beverley pull another trick out of the bag again? We will know in time, and until then, stay tuned with SportsZion.
