Patrick Beverley says ‘big brother’ LeBron James gave him valuable advice in regards to playing for hometown team

Patrick Beverley joined his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls, after securing a contract buyout from the Orlando Magic recently.

He’s made it clear that he’s really excited to be a member of the Bulls, and he also recently picked LeBron James’ brain about what it’s like to play for one’s hometown squad. The two played alongside one another on the Los Angeles Lakers, but James enjoyed two separate stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his own hometown squad.

“I talked to LeBron, who’s my big brother,” Beverley said. “And I asked him a lot of questions. ‘How was it playing home?’ The biggest thing he told me – prioritize your job, which is basketball, and have everything else come after that. I just try to do that since I’ve been back.”

James is an Akron, Ohio native, and he had to manage incredible pressure and expectations during his years with the Cavs. Of course, the expectations that James dealt with during his time with the team overshadow the expectations for Beverley by an immeasurable amount.

When James was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, he was seen as a savior for the city and Cavs franchise. He was arguably the greatest prospect in the history of the NBA coming into the league, and the hope was that he would bring a championship to Cleveland in no time.

James failed to deliver on that hope during his first tenure with the team and departed for the Miami Heat in 2010. He returned to the Cavs in 2014 and won them a title in 2016.

To date, James has four NBA championships to his name.

As for Beverley, he is still seeking his first title, and there is no expectation that he’ll bring one to Chicago anytime soon.

Still, it is quite cool to learn that Beverley sought out James for guidance and advice on this matter.

So far, Beverley has logged just one game with the Bulls. He played 22 minutes, recording a solid eight points, five boards and four assists in a dizzying 44-point win over the Brooklyn Nets.

The win was surely a great way for him to start off his tenure with the team. However, the Bulls still have a long way to go if they want to advance to the postseason. They’re currently sitting at the No. 11 seed in the Eastern Conference and are 1.5 games back from the Washington Wizards for the final seed to advance to the play-in tournament.

The Lakers are in a similar predicament.

They’re currently sitting at the No. 13 seed in the West and are 1.5 games back from the No. 10 seed. James and company are on a two-game winning streak and will look to turn it into a three-game streak in a game against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.