Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley isn’t a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, but he is absolutely a fan of late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
While making an appearance on J.J. Redick’s podcast, Beverley expressed his intense respect for the former Lakers guard.
When Redick asked Beverley if he thought Bryant belonged in the conversations regarding the greatest NBA players of all time, the hard-nosed Clippers guard offered a definitive answer.
“Yes,” Beverley replied. “Game-changer. When it comes to drive and determination, after M.J. (Michael Jordan), who was it? But no one likes to say it for some reason. Kobe taught people how to work hard. He gave you the blueprint of what you should do to be a successful basketball player. People tend to forget about it.”
Bryant concluded his Hall-of-Fame career at the end of the 2015-16 season. Shortly after his retirement from the NBA, it became clear that he was destined to achieve great things off the basketball court just like he did on it.
Tragically, Bryant passed away earlier this year in a helicopter crash in Southern California. The entire NBA was still healing from the shocking death when the 2019-20 season was unexpectedly halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite his passing, it is clear that Bryant’s impact on the NBA is as strong as ever.
Surely, Bryant’s memory will be honored by many players when the 2019-20 season resumes later this month.
