The Los Angeles Lakers have not done much this offseason in terms of adding talent to the roster with the biggest move (thus far) being a trade for Patrick Beverley. While the trade was smart and undoubtedly makes the team better, having Beverley be the biggest acquisition after the most disappointing season in franchise history isn’t great.
That is why fans are hoping for a bigger trade on the horizon including Russell Westbrook. If LA can pull off a Westbrook trade for legitimate rotation players then suddenly the team could be a title contender and Beverley would play a big role in that.
Despite making the playoff eight separate times in his career, Beverley has never played in the NBA Finals. He got close with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2021 playoffs but the Clippers ultimately could not get the job done. Now, Beverley comes to LA with a chip on his shoulder.
Beverley also comes to LA as a new player. Despite being the same person, Beverley is donning the purple and gold this year and that has changed his perspective entirely. Beverley finally realizes how special it is to be a Laker, and that being a Clipper simply does not come close.
Patrick Beverley on going from playing for the Clippers to the Lakers: “Very different. Night and day. Walking around the city, you almost get a different respect.”
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) September 6, 2022
Patrick Beverley is completely right about the Lakers and Clippers fans are likely outraged.
There is no denying that Lakers fans do get a different kind of respect than Clippers fans. It does not matter what Steve Ballmer does or how much money he pours into his team, Los Angeles is always going to be a Lakers town.
Not just in basketball, but in all sports. The Lakers run LA with the Dodgers a close second. The Clippers, meanwhile, are probably less popular than the Los Angeles Angels — who don’t even play in Los Angeles County.
This has to sting for Clippers fans considering who it is coming from. Patrick Beverley isn’t just an old role player that used to play for the Clippers. He is someone who “embodied” what it meant to be a Clipper, and for a lot of people, was the soul of the team.
Clippers fans are already coming with the spin zones for this take, and quite frankly, I have to respect it (especially coming from Joey, who is without a doubt one of the most knowledgable basketball fans on Twitter. Seriously, even though he is a Clippers fan go give him a follow).
Considering the fans who relentlessly attacked Pat Bev for the last four years are the ones now asking for autographs, it makes sense that things feel different for him now.
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) September 6, 2022
At the end of the day, it is impossible to refute that there is a tangible difference between the two teams and Beverley saying this only hammers home that point. The Clippers fanbase might be growing but it does not matter how well they do; they will never come close to being the Lakers.