The NBA offseason rarely lacks drama. And late on an August night, Shams Charania of The Athletic dropped a bomb. The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Patrick Beverley in exchange for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson. Beverley, a former LA Clipper, arrives as a key rotation player who gives the Lakers a sense of toughness, shooting, and defensive tenacity. It goes without saying that he will be a major piece in the Lakers’ postseason hopes as he will fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. And with this acquisition, opening night looks intriguing as Patrick Beverley reignites the Battle of LA.
Patrick Beverley Reignites Battle of LA
Ever since Davis, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George arrived in Los Angeles, the NBA prioritized getting their matchups on national television. Beverley being a former Clipper and going to their crosstown rival makes the matchup even more interesting. However, it is not the first time a former Clipper jumped ship to the rival. Center Montrezl Harrell joined the Lakers after the Clippers’ bubble collapse in 2020. But then got traded the next offseason.
What makes Beverley’s arrival to the purple and gold so fascinating is how passionate he was to represent the Clippers beforehand. Beverley is one of the key players that helped change the Clippers’ culture into the powerhouse that they are today. He even went on record to say that they “turned the Lakers city into a Clippers city’.
He was never shy in repping the Clippers. In the Christmas day matchup in 2019, Beverley made a game-sealing strip on James. A moment in Clipper fans loves to relive to this day. His bulldog mentality and ferocity were something that the Clippers rarely had in their franchise. He gave the fanbase and the players energy in each game he played. Whether it be a steal, a drawn charge, or snagging 15 rebounds in an overtime win against the Boston Celtics. Beverley never failed to make Clipper Nation proud of what he brought to the court.
Now as October 20th approaches, eyes will be back on both LA teams as they make their season debuts. And with reports of Lakers guard Russell Westbrook unlikely to play due to Beverley’s arrival, his role will be even bigger during the season. Fireworks will be plenty, as Battle of LA games go when all-stars play. Perhaps Beverley will bring a new layer of intensity to the rivalry.
Look for plenty of energy-inducing plays and trash talk between the point guard and his former team. This may also be the season that we finally see the Lakers and Clippers meet in the postseason. The rosters still need to be finalized. But it appears the basketball gods have deprived the fans of this playoff matchup for years. And Beverley joining the Lakers, the drama and intrigue are at an all-time high. The season tips off in just under two months but doesn’t expect that to mean that there won’t be any more fi reworks coming. A lot can happen between now and October 20th. And I can’t wait to see the clash of these two titans when basketball returns.
