Patrick Beverley is a Honey Badger
In a league that’s dominated with finesse play and flopping, Patrick Beverley walks on the court wearing a face mask to protect his broken nose. Coincidentally enough, his nose that was broken playing against the team that bears the face mask of all face masks, LeBron James.
A couple of weeks ago, LeBron’s face mask was the star of SportsCenter. ESPN, couldn’t stop drooling and touching themselves awkwardly, in wake of the breaking news – “LeBron Breaks Nose, Must Wear Mask”. **ESPN control room cheers like NASA, when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon**
After all, it was a historic day for ESPN, right? A NBA super star crybaby, with more God given basketball talent than anyone on this planet, is going to look like Zoro for a month. This is real news!
On the other end of the mask spectrum, we have Patrick Beverley. Beverley doesn’t have a ton of raw talent. He’ll never be Chris Paul or Steve Nash. That’s not his style. He’s from Chicago, and went to a high school that was made up of teens from low income homes. Beverley isn’t finesse. He’s a worker.
Have you ever heard a story about someone from the streets, making it in this world? If not, here’s what the story doesn’t sound like –
“In west Philadelphia born and raised, On the playground was where I spent most of my days. Chillin’ out maxin’ relaxin’ all cool And all shootin some b-ball outside of the school. When a couple of guys who were up to no good. Started making trouble in my neighborhood. I got in one little fight and my mom got scared. She said ‘You’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air’…. I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8. And I yelled to the cabbie ‘Yo homes smell ya later’ I looked at my kingdom I was finally there To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel Air”
*Note* I wonder how much that cab drive costed Uncle Phil? Philly to Bel Air? Seems expensive.
That’s not how things work in this world. That’s how things work in Candyland.
Stories about kids that grow up in low income areas, are filled with tragedy and hard work. Taking whatever talent they have, working hard, and using it to the best of their ability.
Patrick Beverley, just didn’t show up in the NBA one day and become the starting point guard for the Houston Rockets. He was drafted in 2009 by the Lakers, and then played in Europe. Things didn’t happen overnight for this guy.
Beverley did his time and put in work. He’s now a starting point guard in a league that once thought Linsanity was a thing (that was a real stupid two weeks).
Real Talk
After saying all of that, I tend to get slightly annoyed when I see “Beverley’s a punk”, being blasted out by large media outlets. Why? Those sites make the media. They design a bread of hatred towards a player or a stereotype that will follow him for the rest of his career. They will make something a story instead of reporting real stories.
Let’s take a look at Grantland.com’s post that came out yesterday, about Beverley. The irony of this post is that it’s called, “The Patrick Beverley Appreciation Thread”.
"Chris Ryan: Coming into the season, Patrick Beverley was the “man who ruined the Thunder’s chance at a title” with his cheap shot on Russell Westbrook in the playoffs. At the time, I feel like people gave him a break for playing hard and suggested it was an accident. I think, considering this season, we can safely say it was NOT an accident. Patrick Beverley is here to chew bubblegum and drive you insane, and he’s ALL OUT OF BUBBLEGUM."
So, because Russell Westbrook jumped back like a five year old seeing a spider, when Beverley reached for the ball, that somehow makes him an obnoxious dick? Westbrook tore his ACL during this fluky incident, let’s go ahead a throw a label on Beverley. Seems legit.
Hey Chris Ryan, I’m not sure if you know this, but that kind of ACL tear, was one wrong move waiting to happen. There wasn’t a whole lot of bend in that break. It’s science Chris, look it up.
Let’s continue, shall we?
"Andrew Sharp: … but Patrick Beverley? He’s so perfectly obnoxious and unbearable that even a Rockets hater like me can’t help but respect him.He’s hacking guys every time they cross half court. When it happens once or twice, it’s an accident. After two years in the NBA? It’s a strategy. If there were chop-blocks in basketball, he would lead the league.‘I don’t care what he says. I played against all the other top point guards, all the other All-Star point guards, and it was nothing but praise. ‘Patrick pushes me, Patrick plays hard, he forces me to better my game.’That is definitely a lie."
Riveting tale, Andrew. Rockets hater, huh? Now let’s watch a video together and eat some gummi worms, Andrew.
How were those gummi worms, or should I say, gummi words. Did you eat them?
For the most part, I like the work that Grantland.com puts out. But this post had a certain “Don’t piss on my shoe and call it rain!” feel to it. Not a whole lot of appreciation, but more unrealistic bias chatter. Bill Simmons, is the only guy that didn’t blast Beverley in the post.
Why not just call Beverley what he is, a Honey Badger. He doesn’t give a (expletive).
He doesn’t give a (expletive) about what team he’s playing against. He doesn’t give a (expletive) about the time of year. He doesn’t give a (expletive) about the name on the back of the jersey. Honey Badger don’t care, and neither does Patrick Beverly.
Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
When did players start getting labeled as, obnoxious or cheap, for playing tough defense and giving it their all every night?
J.J. Watt is the golden child of the NFL. He’s basically, G.I. Joe. No one busts his balls for bringing the heat every game. Or sacking a quarterback, in the the joke that is the Pro Bowl.
How soft has the NBA become? Well, flopping is a real thing in the NBA, because players were and still are able to get away with it. Too much contact is consider a hard foul. If you breathe on a player, it’s considered a technical foul. The NBA is slowly transitioning into what soccer has become. The slightest touch and it looks like a player just took a gun shot wound to the head. It’s real pathetic.
Hard fouls are part of the game. No one likes getting fouled hard because, it gets in their head and makes a player alter their game. Show me a hard foul over a flop any day of the week.
Which brings me back to Beverley, who I consider a working man’s point guard. A player that doesn’t care who you are or where you’re from. He’s going to play everyone the same way. That’s something you don’t see night in, and night out, when it comes to professional sports.
What’s really mind boggling, is how he’s being persecuted for playing tough defense, on a team where defense has been lacking.
I don’t hear Dwayne Wade getting chopped up for his physical play. Then again, Wade is apart of NBA’s heart-throb, Miami Heat.
Maybe I care too much, when it comes to pointing out the stupidity that is slowly evolving in sports. How players are stereotyped and the bias sports conversations brought on by the national media types.The ignorance of how some rules are changed and others aren’t. Maybe I should take the Beverley approach to the situation. Something tells me that Patrick Beverly doesn’t care. He doesn’t give a (expletive).
Follow House of Houston: @houseofhouston
Follow Marcus Chavez: @marcusdoesurmom