The Los Angeles Lakers abandoned the roster they constructed at the start of the season after a season where the team hasn’t been higher than the 12th seed all year. Two of the key components of that squad were Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley.
Russ was traded for a package that brought back D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley. Beverley was traded for Mo Bamba.
The pair had one of the fiercest rivalries in the NBA when they were opponents across different teams in their careers. While this was an odd teammate partnership, it seems sharing a locker room has improved their relationship.
Beverley spoke about Russ’s incredible work ethic and how the pair became friends over the season.
Patrick Beverley speaks highly of Russell Westbrook. “That’s my dawg, lifetime dawg” 💯 pic.twitter.com/2dv6fq4rZ7
— J 🐳 (@216chels) February 14, 2023
“To see how Russ is every game day, the first person in the locker room. Every single game. I’m on the first bus, LeBron is on the first bus too. There’s some vets in the league that take the third bus, we have 3 buses. I’m on first bus, ‘Bron on first bus, AD on first bus. We get to the locker room, Russ is there. Dressed, fully worked out already. Headphones on, locked in.”
“That’s my dawg. Lifetime dawg. Like, some real s**t… Lot of dinners just us together. We caught a real brother vibe. It was some real s**t, though. I didn’t know he knew the game of basketball the way he know the game. He know the game in and out. It’s a different perspective.”
Real recognize real, so Beverley and Westbrook probably realized that they kept coming to odds because of how similar they were. Thus, we can finally close the chapter on one of the league’s most intense personal rivalries, filled with playoff battles, insults, and injuries.
Where Will The Former Lakers Duo Go For The End Of The Season?
Both Westbrook and Beverley are currently on the buyout market looking for their new team. Russ is heavily linked to signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, though the Chicago Bulls have also been mentioned. Russ is averaging 15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game so far this season.
The market for Beverley hasn’t been as hot, but many fans would love to see him return to Minnesota and give the team the edge that made them playoff-bound last season. PatBev is averaging 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game so far this season.
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