Patrick Beverley and LeBron James have had a beef on the court dating back years.
Off the court, Beverley understands the power structure of the NBA.
Stars such as Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard, CJ McCollum, and others have questioned if now is the right time to go to Orlando and play, saying it would stall the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement. However, the game’s biggest star, LeBron, has championed a return to play and says players can impact social justice movements from Florida. Beverley took to Twitter to suggest how this is all going to play out.
Hoopers say what y’all want. If @KingJames said he hooping. We all hooping. Not Personal only BUSINESS🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 🙏🏾 #StayWoke ✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) June 14, 2020
There has never been a situation like this in the NBA before. While star players usually have been able to bend the will of the rank and file players their way in the past, this may be a different situation.
Each player has to balance his concerns about the Black Lives Matters movement, their health and safety, time away from family, getting paid for this season, and the dramatic impact not playing would have on their financial futures. It’s a lot. Players such as Irving see not playing as the best option, while LeBron and guys such as Garrett Temple say it’s a false choice to pick between playing and social justice, that players can accomplish both.
Players can choose not to go to Orlando and face no punishment, but then they don’t get paid.
But whether to play or not is a deeply personal choice, and while they can speak of unity and backing each other up, not everyone is going to reach the same conclusions. Or take the same actions.
Beverley, for his part, is ready to continue his beef with LeBron on the courts in Orlando.