Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley seems to be settling in nicely with his new squad.
The 34-year-old is known as a player with a huge personality, and it sometimes rubs folks the wrong way. However, since his trade to Los Angeles, it seems like Lakers fans have really started to enjoy having him around.
LeBron James is apparently in a similar boat. The superstar recently admitted that he hated playing against Beverley before the guard was traded to the Lakers but loves him now that they’re teammates.
“There’s three guys — now three — that I hated playing against, and then I became their teammate, and I love them,” James said. “Kendrick Perkins, hated him in Boston. I still hate Boston. Don’t get that twisted. We all hate Boston here. No. 2 was Lance Stephenson, who became my teammate here. And now, Patrick Beverley.”
It’s interesting to learn that Beverley isn’t the only player that James has changed his mind about over the years. Perkins and James were teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Stephenson, as James mentioned, played with the 18-time All-Star in Los Angeles.
James seemingly isn’t the only one who has built a solid relationship with Beverley since the guard’s trade to the Lakers. Russell Westbrook and Beverley have put their rocky history aside and become good friends already.
Patrick Beverley told ESPN that Russell Westbrook has been his “best friend” on the team since being traded to the Lakers this summer. Says they both come in to train before 7 a.m. and spend time in the gym together
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 26, 2022
There’s certainly a positive vibe in the air as the Lakers prepare for the 2022-23 season. Although the roster still has lots of question marks, it seems like the Lakers have a squad full of players that really want to make things work this season.
Beverley has done a nice job of boosting the energy surrounding the Lakers since his arrival in Los Angeles. But that’s only half the battle, and he’s going to have to put together a solid season if he wants the positive vibes to continue.
Last season, Beverley averaged 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from deep. As always, he made a major impact on the defensive end of the floor, which is something the Lakers are hoping to see more of this season.
L.A. will open its 2022-23 campaign on Oct. 18 against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers will look to start their season with a statement win.
