Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley continue to have enough beef to fill up an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Westbrook’s Los Angeles Lakers faced off against Beverley and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. The Wolves won the game in a blowout, and both Beverley and his teammates trolled Westbrook for his struggles during the contest.
After the game, Westbrook responded to all the trash talk from the Wolves’ side. He said that nobody on the Wolves had had accomplished anything in the NBA that would make him pay attention to them.
Russell Westbrook on the Wolves trash talk "I don't think they were talking to me…they haven't done nothing in this league for me to pay attention" pic.twitter.com/plqlWj5yy0
— KF (@klutchfamilia) March 17, 2022
Beverley clearly did not like that comment from Westbrook and fired back on Twitter afterwards.
“Playoffs every year,” Beverley said in reference to his teams’ achievements. “2 western conference finals with 2 different Teams. individual stats or team stats? I thought it was a team sport??”
Playoffs every year. 2 western conference finals with 2 different Teams👀👀👀 individual stats or team stats? I thought it was a team sport?? https://t.co/wlPhFB9alQ
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) March 17, 2022
Either player could foreseeably argue that they have had more success in the NBA. Westbrook is an ex-MVP and a nine-time All-Star who has gotten so many triple-doubles over the years that he has essentially normalized them. But Beverley has consistently gotten further than Westbrook in the playoffs (not counting Westbrook’s 2012 NBA Finals appearance with Kevin Durant and James Harden in Oklahoma City). While Beverley is not too much of an individual stat-producer, many would rather have a player like him on their team than someone like Westbrook, who has been accused of stat-padding and can actively hurt his team with his chaotic play.
Regardless, there are obvious personal undertones to this back-and-forth, as Westbrook and Beverley are two of the most infamous enemies in the NBA. Westbrook has loathed Beverley ever since he suffered a torn meniscus on a steal attempt by Beverley back in 2013. Westbrook’s continued struggles this year have opened the door for the beef to continue too, as Beverley has been able to get in some petty shots at him.
Photo: Oct 6, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook prior to the preseason game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
