Comparisons are always hateful, especially when you bring one of the most influential player’s name to the table. We live in an era where people aren’t afraid of comparing modern-day players to former ballers, but sometimes things are taken too far.
Recently, Kenny Smith dared to say something blasphemous, as Stephen A. Smith would say, comparing Patrick Beverley to Dennis Rodman, one of the best defensive players of all time and the greatest rebounder in NBA history.
The good thing is that Charles Barkley was quick to call Smith out, asking him never to compare Beverley and Rodman again.
“Pat Bev, he is the Dennis Rodman of this era. Like if he doesn’t play on that emotion, he’s not as good. I’m talking about this era, in terms of thought process. The way Pat Beverley plays, if he doesn’t play on that emotion, he’s not an NBA player possibly,” Smith said.
“Listen, we all like Pat Beverley. Don’t compare him to Dennis Rodman. … Please stop,” Chuck replied.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRuXFhMpmF4
It’s not so hard to see why Barkley practically was offended by this. The 1993 NBA MVP played against Rodman, and he knows the 5x NBA champion very well. Beverley has been involved in controversies during his career but comparing him to Dennis is too much.
Sure, he needs to be in a particular state of mind to deliver, but Rodman was much more than that. He studied the game; he was focused on his only job on the court and nothing else. Other than their ejections from games, it doesn’t look like they have many similarities.
