Beverley 'super excited' to play alongside old nemesis Westbrook
New Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley is looking forward to sharing a backcourt with longtime rival Russell Westbrook this season.
Beverley said Tuesday he's "super excited" to be Westbrook's teammate. He highlighted the former MVP's grit on the court and remarked that they could play off each other, according to Spectrum SportsNet's Mike Bresnahan.
"I haven't had an explosive guard like Russ to play with defensively and offensively," Beverley said during a press conference, according to Bresnahan.
Beverley, 34, noted Westbrook is the type of player who can help him succeed.
"It works to have another ball-handler out there with me," he said, according to The Orange County Register's Mirjam Swanson.
Westbrook, 33, was in attendance for Beverley's press conference, with the two sharing a brief exchange.
Pat Beverley and Russell Westbrook greeting each other after Pat’s press conference pic.twitter.com/p02AC9O1kh
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) September 6, 2022
The two guards have battled for most of their NBA careers. Beverley dove for a loose ball during the 2013 postseason as a member of the Houston Rockets, causing a season-ending meniscus tear for Westbrook while he was with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Beverley and Westbrook have also traded verbal jabs, with the latter calling out the former's defensive capabilities, remarking: "It's just running around, doing nothing."
Asked if Beverley and Westbrook could start together in the backcourt, head coach Darvin Ham said defense will be the biggest factor in determining a potential partnership, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
The Lakers acquired Beverley in August from the Utah Jazz for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson. Beverley previously spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, earning All-Defensive first-team honors in 2017 and an All-Defensive second-team distinction in 2020.