There are many American players who make the decision to go play in another country, but this is usually a decision they make when they run out of space in the NBA. However, this does not seem to have been the case with Patrick Beverley. After a good end to the season with the Bucks, it is hard to imagine that the point guard did not receive offers from the league, but the point guard has chosen to ignore them and sign with Happoel Tel Aviv, a decision that he himself has explained on his podcast.
«What people don’t understand is that now I’m going to have the opportunity to play basketball. I used to be a scorer, and in fact in my first European stint I was MVP of the league I’m going to play in now. Obviously when you get to the NBA you have to take on different roles, but now I can go back to a position where I can ask for the ball and be the protagonist. Play one-on-one, shoot step-backs, go to the basket…»
Specifically, Beverley confesses that it was during the last playoffs that he realized he wanted to take on a leading role. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard injured, Pat had to take on more of the team’s offensive weight in some games, and he even had some interesting performances in this regard, such as his 13 points and 12 assists in Game 5 against Indiana, a moment that made him want to play that way more often.
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“I’ve had a great role, and I think my NBA career has been phenomenal. But I didn’t want to just sit in the corner. In Game 5 with the Bucks, they gave me the ball and I had a double-double. But in Game 6, the team was healthier (Damian Lillard played in that game) and suddenly I didn’t touch the ball. Not because I did anything wrong, but because of a question of hierarchy.”
(Cover photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
2024-08-08 08:00:00
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