Both Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook were traded away from the Lakers and entered this season’s buyout market.
Beverley joined the Chicago Bulls, while Westbrook ended up on the Clippers – a team Beverley spent four seasons with and helped establish some of the core values they still hold today.
As soon as Beverley heard the news that Westbrook would be joining his old team, he sent his former teammate a message.
“I texted him soon as I heard about it, and he texted me right back,” Beverley said on his podcast. “I said, ‘Man you’re gonna love it there. You’re gonna love it there, man.”
Beverley’s podcast co-host Adam Ferrone asked Beverley to expand on what he meant and judging by Beverley’s long pause, he was reminiscing on his time there.
“I’m trying to say the right words,” Beverley said. “Just the detail of the organization, the detail of game-planning, the detail of preparation. Being ready, how to attack a team every single game, no matter where you’re at, no matter if you’re on the road, no matter if you played 30 minutes, how to attack a team. How you know you’re gonna score, educate you a little bit more, some openings on how to defeat this team and you know I think he’ll appreciate that.”
There were some reports that Beverley did have interest in reuniting with his old team but the Clippers chose to sign Westbrook instead.
After years of being heated rivals, they became friends as Lakers teammates. That partnership was short-lived, but it was still long enough to end the beef.