In the aftermath of Minnesota’s 109-104 victory over the Clippers on Tuesday, Patrick Beverley made no attempt to hide his excitement.
With a trip to the postseason secured, Bev (and other members of the team) went wild with celebrations that had some thinking they won the Finals.
Amid an assault of backlash from the media, fans, and fellow players, JJ Redick stood out from the bunch by coming to Beverley’s defense.
Here’s what he said on Twitter:
Why do we celebrate NCAA tourney teams winning a one and done scenario but gonna mock NBA players and their fans for doing the same…seems wrong to me
Why do we celebrate NCAA tourney teams winning a one and done scenario but gonna mock NBA players and their fans for doing the same…seems wrong to me https://t.co/AXQBZYU8pn
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) April 13, 2022
Beverley’s actions have sparked a massive debate in the NBA community. For some, celebrating a play-in victory in such extreme fashion is a bad look. Teams play to win a Championship, not to make the playoffs.
Wheres the wolves trophy?
— João (@joao_chicas) April 13, 2022
i think it’s just people aren’t used to it for NBA. generally they give college kids the benefit of them being younger, while someone like Pat Bev is over 30 celebrating. I think it was fine, but I can see where people come from
— Missile☄️💫⭐️🪐 (@Missile3274) April 13, 2022
You wouldn't have been celebrating like they did and you know that. Only one I'd understand feeling emotional is Bev because they beat the team that traded him. Just look at the game before that one, did the Nets celebrate like the Wolves did? No.
— Noel Salinas Jr. (@noelsalinasjr33) April 13, 2022
For others, like Redick, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the ride. The Timberwolves have only made the playoffs a total of 9 times in their 32 seasons.
The “act like you’ve been here before” crowd is the absolute worst.
— Kyle Sockwell (@kylesockwell) April 13, 2022
JJ … I agree. Celebrate conference championships , regular session co-conference championships etc. It’s no guarantee your team will make it out of first weekend. Might as well enjoy the good nights during the season.
Best wishes
— Rico Bo$co (@Return_Of_RB) April 13, 2022
Impossible to enjoy the journey because of the toxic discourse
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) April 13, 2022
It was fine? Fine to see a human in a competitive environment care about the outcome? Seems like more than fine. Seems normal.
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) April 13, 2022
We can all agree that every win deserves to be celebrated in some capacity. And we can all agree some people take it too far sometimes.
Back in 2015, for example, Kobe Bryant had a pretty iconic reaction when he saw his team celebrating on the court after snapping an 8-game losing streak.
In this case, though, there is a legitimate cause for emotion. If nothing else, securing the 7th-seed is a huge milestone for the organization and a sign that better days are ahead.
But now that the confetti is done falling, the Timberwolves need to focus on their new challenge: the Memphis Grizzlies. As one of the NBA’s best teams all year, the Grizzlies will not be an easy opponent to beat.
We can only imagine what the celebration for Minnesota will be like if they somehow pull it off.
