Damian Lillard addresses “beef” with new Bucks teammate Patrick Beverley
Instagram: BucksDamian Lillard is ready to put his differences with Patrick Beverley aside to help the Bucks win, and so is Beverley.
Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Damian Lillard has a new teammate in town, and it’s one he’s had bad blood with.
Patrick Beverley landed on the Bucks’ doorstep at the NBA trade deadline. Along with his elite yet antagonistic defense comes a longstanding history of heated back-and-forths with Lillard on and off the court.
Fortunately for the Bucks, it looks like it won’t disrupt their camaraderie and cause a rift in the locker room.
Bucks’ Lillard won’t let Beverley feud compromise winning
Known for his stoicism, Lillard took the mature route when initially reacting to the franchise’s decision to strengthen their perimeter defense by bringing Beverley on board.
As TNT NBA insider Chris Haynes shared on X, Lillard addressed his prior beef with Beverley and how he’s ready to put it behind him for the sake of chasing a championship:
Though Lillard lost a valued teammate in Cam Payne, he remained true to his identity in putting winning above all else by acknowledging the impact Beverley can have on their second unit.
Beverley sports a solid 111.0 defensive rating on the year. His history of game-saving stops in big playoff games gives the Bucks a premiere defender against a stacked ensemble of great point guards in the East.
Lillard-Beverley beef developed through the years
Lillard first delivered a gutwrenching blow to Beverley and the Houston Rockets when he hit a series-winning three-pointer for the Portland Trail Blazers in their 2014 first-round series.
But Beverley got the feud rolling in the 2020 NBA bubble, clowning Lillard after he botched a pair of free throws late in game.
Fast forward to 2021, Lillard came at Beverley and Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George on Instagram, reminding them both how he sent them home in the playoffs on two separate occasions.
That tension grew and ultimately led Lillard to talk trash to Beverley in the middle of a game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers last season.
Lillard took the spat to X, calling Beverley a “con man” after the latter spewed a humble brag to the media in the post game press conference.
Now that the trade has gone through, though, Beverley came out and expressed his willingness to come to terms with Lillard.
Hoops Central shared this video of Beverley saying, “I have to get my relationship right with Dame.”
One thing’s for sure. While Beverley is a menace to play against, he’s the type of teammate every title winner needs. He and Lillard will have the second-half of the season to get on the same page.