Patrick Beverley Addresses Playing With Lakers, Russell Westbrook

The two have bumped heads in the past, but now will unite in Los Angeles to turn around the team after last year’s disappointment.

The Lakers turned some heads last month when they acquired veteran guard Patrick Beverley in a trade with the Jazz. The fiery Beverley has had some past run-ins with current Los Angeles point guard Russell Westbrook, who endured a tumultuous first season with his hometown team that culminated in the team missing the playoffs.

As Beverley was formally introduced in a press conference on Tuesday, Westbrook was a topic of conversation, particularly past beef between the two high-energy guards.

“Super excited,” Beverley said when asked about his fit with Westbrook, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “… I was asked this question two, three years ago, [about] someone I always wanted to play with and [Westbrook] was the first name. I have [known] Bron since I was a baby, a rookie in this league, so obviously I want to play with him. But a player with that competitive spirit, that fire, that will, that dog, that nastiness, that grit, to have a running mate like that, I have never had that. So I am super excited to see where it goes.”

The genesis of any ill feelings between the two can be traced back to the 2013 playoffs, when Beverley—then a member of the Rockets—dove into Westbrook’s knee while going for a steal. Westbrook eventually needed surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear. Now, the two are teammates and focused on the future rather than the past.

“Obviously like any relationship or any marriage, things, we are going to have tough conversations,” Beverley said. “That is what comes with winning, but I am excited about those conversations, I am excited about the practices. I am just excited to be able to compete with someone like that.”

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