Patrick Beverley uses Russell Westbrook's own 'trick y'all' words against him in latest beef entry
Patience is everything and sometimes the best NBA beef is the slow-boil.
Patrick Beverley delivered in that department on Thursday with time ticking toward the NBA trade deadline when he unearthed a nearly three-year-old comment from Russell Westbrook. And he made sure not to miss.
I remember when somebody said all I do is run around and I trick y’all 😂 well my boy is The Real Magician this year.
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 10, 2022
The Minnesota Timberwolves point guard was referring to Westbrook's remarks toward him in November 2019 after the Houston Rockets, then featuring Westbrook on the roster, defeated Beverley's Los Angeles Clippers. Now Westbrook is in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers and it's not going great.
Beverley claps back at Westbrook
In that 2019 contest, Beverley was tasked with keeping James Harden in check. Harden scored 47 points, putting in 10 of his 17 after Beverley fouled out with 1:57 left and the Clippers trailing by two.
Westbrook gave a mocking wave, though they did not exchange words, and the point guard later told reporters:
"Pat Bev trick y'all, man, like he playing defense," Westbrook said, via ESPN. "He don't guard nobody, man. It's just running around, doing nothing. ... All that commotion to get 47."
Beverley, a three-time All-Defensive selection, declined to skewer him back at the time.
"Don't start that, don't start that," Beverley told ESPN as he exited the Clippers' locker room. "I don't care about that."
Clearly, he does. More than two years after the fact, Beverley took his shot at the perfect moment. Westbrook sat out the Lakers' 107-105 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, citing tightness in his lower back. It was the first game he missed all season.
In the two games prior, and third time this season, Westbrook was pulled late and never put back into the game. On Tuesday it was at the 2:34 mark of the third quarter trailing 103-79 to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Westbrook, a two-time scoring champion, is averaging 18.3 points for the Lakers, the lowest of his career since his first two seasons out of UCLA. His 43.5% shooting mark is one of his worst, and his 29.5% clip from 3-point range isn't helping. He averages 7.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game.
Beverley, Westbrook beef timeline
The feud between the two point guards dates back to the 2013 NBA playoffs when Westbrook was with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Beverley with the Rockets.
Beverley collided with Westbrook quickly after the Thunder called a timeout in Game 2 of the first-round series. Westbrook was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee that required multiple surgeries.
They've had confrontations over the years, including in that 2019-20 season when Westbrook dropped his "trick y'all" remarks. When the teams met again a week later, Beverley mocked Westbrook's missed shot at the end of the game and Westbrook replied by calling him trash.
