In a segment on the Pat Bev podcast, the longtime NBA veteran shed some light on his relationship with Paul George as a teammate. Interestingly, Beverley explained that he couldn’t talk to George the same way he did to most of his other teammates.
“Me and Lou will: ‘Hey where the f**k you at today, man? I need you out there!” Alright cool, not I go to PG, imma have to— ‘Ay P, you missed man, but that sh*t look good! It was in and out!’ Feel me? My approach was different. [If I say] ‘Ay PG make some mother f*cking shots, bro! Hold your mother f*cking form! Be disciplined! Oh that shit looked good! Next seven going in, bro! I see it 7 out of 11 times! Next one going in!’ type shit.”
You have to learn different communication methods with all your teammates! pic.twitter.com/jusmN9gZSD
— Pat Bev Pod (@PatBevPod) July 25, 2024
Paul George is one of the most well-known and experienced stars in the league. While his skills and talent are undeniable, he often gets criticized for what fans believe is a refusal to take accountability. Year after year, he struggles to stay consistent and it seems he also struggles to accept any negative criticism about his game.
Beverley didn’t mean it as a negative thing to George, but it’s clear that the two-way swingman is not the “tough love” kind of athlete. He requires support to be at his best and can seemingly get overwhelmed when someone is trying to fire him up with trash talk or shouting.
As a former Clipper and a teammate of George for several years, Beverley figured out the best way to reach him was to stoke his ego and build up his confidence rather than confront him with hard truths or personal criticisms.
With averages of 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 45% shooting in five years with the Clippers, Paul George clearly performed his role with excellence for the Clippers and nobody can deny that he was a valuable player for them.
But when the team needed him to step up and carry them in the playoffs, he consistently failed to get it done. Whether due to injuries, poor play, or just flat-out giving up (during the 2020 bubble), Paul George was unable to achieve anything of note during his Clippers tenure and it’s hard not to think that he might have been better off with a teammate who was willing to confront him with hard truths about this game.
Now, on the 76ers, Paul George will have one last chance to win the title alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. He won’t have to be the co-star in this arrangement, but the pressure will still be on him to live up to his status as a 9x All-Star and future Hall-of-Famer.
As for Beverley, he’s going to be doing his usual routine with the Milwaukee Bucks next season, and that involves doing whatever is necessary to get his teammates to lock in and be the best version of themselves on the court.
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