The newly acquired Bucks guard knows he’ll have to mend fences with his new teammate.
Veteran guard Patrick Beverley was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday afternoon for a package that included guard Cam Payne and a second-round pick heading back to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Amid the trade, Beverley posted a video to his podcast’s X account where he declared that he needed to mend fences with longtime rival and new teammate, Damian Lillard.
“I gotta get my relationship right with Dame…It’s time to win a championship,” Beverley said with a laugh.
Lillard is on board with making peace with his new teammate in pursuit of a championship as well.
“He brings an edge and a defensive tenacity that we need,” Lillard told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. “There are not many players who bright it on a nightly [basis] like him. I look forward to working together. Our past personal issues don’t trump an opportunity to win a championship.
The feud between Beverley and Lillard dates back to the NBA Bubble in 2020, where Beverley mocked Lillard’s “Dame Time” celebration from the bench after Lillard missed potential game-winning free throws.
Pat Bev and Marcus Morris' reactions to Dame missing potential game-winning free throws ???? pic.twitter.com/keEaBCQn3t
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 8, 2020
Beverley has leaned into the villain role when competing against Lillard ever since. Here’s a clip from January of 2023 when Beverley was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, when he once again mocked the patented celebration of Lillard.
Pat Bev mocks Dame Time pic.twitter.com/W1KwsyTqwm
— dave (@nbadaves) January 23, 2023
The rivalry between the two will have to be put aside, as the Bucks look to improve their team defense for a stretch run toward the postseason. Beverley will certainly be a significant piece to Milwaukee’s puzzle as the franchise pursues a championship.
