Patrick Beverley’s dislike of CP3 knows no bounds.
Patrick Beverley really does not like Chris Paul. Anyone who follows the NBA knows this well. Beverley famously shoved Paul in the back during the 2021 NBA Playoffs, and might have gained even more notoriety for becoming an ESPN talking head last spring just to trash talk CP3’s game.
Paul is of course one of the best point guards in NBA history even if he’s never won a ring. Beverley is an inspiration in his own way as a former second round pick who spent years playing in Ukraine, Greece, and Russia before carving out an NBA rotation spot and becoming one of the biggest pests of his generation. Both of these players are in their mid-to-late 30s now, but the passage of time hasn’t cooled down their animosity.
The Suns whooped the Lakers, 130-104, on Tuesday. While the Suns were in the process of turning the game into a rout, Beverley scored on Paul and took the opportunity to bust out the “too small” taunt. Only one problem: Pat Bev’s Lakers were down 26 points at the time.
You know Beverley was waiting to bust out the ‘too small’ taunt all game. It didn’t matter if his team was getting smoked — when he finally got his opportunity to do it, he really went for it.
This was a vintage CP3 game in every way, finishing with 28 points and eight assists in the win. Beverley added nine points for the Lakers in the loss.
Paul asked about Beverley’s taunt after the game. He had a predictable response:
“You can’t pay attention to that stuff,” Paul said after the game when asked about Beverley trying to show him up. “That ain’t new. He ain’t come up with it. But just play basketball, man.”
Pat Bev never stops being Pat Bev. Expect the cheap shots for CP3 to keep coming long after both are retired.
