Image via TNT/@StephNoh on Twitter
Patrick Beverley ended the Bucks’ first-round defeat against the Pacers in the most Patrick Beverley way possible.
If you were to ask me to describe Patrick Beverley to someone who didn’t watch the NBA, I would probably start with that he is essentially if you turned Twitter trolling into a person and made them among the best 200 players in the world at basketball. The likely-soon-to-be-former Milwaukee Bucks guard and part-time podcaster has had beef with basically everyone in the league at some point, including at least one current teammate, and now we can add “a random Pacers fan” to the (extensive) list.
Because you see, as much as Pat Bev has built a rep as the ultimate gritty winner — despite never winning a title or even making it to the NBA Finals — he is also one of the sorest losers there is, and as the clock ticks down on his teams’ inevitable playoff elimination, one never knows what he is going to do. He might shove Chris Paul from behind, or he might throw a ball at a fan who was (seemingly? maybe?) just trying to give it back to the Bucks bench.
If that second thing sounds kinda outlandish, rest assured it’s not: It’s actually exactly what happened as the Pacers turned the Bucks into injury-riddled first-round roadkill in a 120-98 closeout Game 6.
Oh, the longer video is even WORSE!!! Patrick Beverly beamed a lady in the head with a basketball and when he got it back, he threw it again at ANOTHER fan. That’s crazy. He’s definitely getting fined and suspended! https://t.co/bREbPjnYqU
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) May 3, 2024
As one Twitter user noted, we finally found a game ball the Bucks do not want, so that’s fun.
The reactions afterward are just incredible, too. From the fan’s hands up, “wtf is this guy’s problem?”, to Giannis’ “what is happening now?” look over towards Pat Bev, to his fellow member of The League of Pats, Pat Connaughton, just staring off into space with a towel, to then panning over to Pat Bev still staring the fan down; eternally standing on business, the whole thing is like a Renaissance Painting:
Image via TNT/@StephNoh on Twitter
The funniest part of this is that Pat Bev, just last game, trolled the entire Pacers team with a “too small” gesture as the Bucks pulled off an unexpected Game 5 upset. So even if he felt this fan was taunting him by… making clear eye contact and giving him back a basketball that had ended up in the crowd? … he can’t act like he wouldn’t have been giving it to the hostile Indy crowd just as hard had the scores been reversed:
We’ll see when and where the #Belt2A$$ tour continues next after this latest May detour from its perpetually hoped-for — but never-reached — June destination. And how big the fine for this is going to be.