Patrick Beverley says working out with Kawhi Leonard changed his life
Patrick Beverley is one of the hardest-working players in the NBA. A man who clawed his way to the NBA from the Ukraine, it's hard to outwork Beverley. That meaning of hard work truly changed, when Patrick Beverley worked out with Kawhi Leonard.
In an interview on JJ Redick's podcast, Patrick Beverley discussed what working out with Kawhi Leonard was like. It all started with wanting to stay focused during the pandemic.
"During the pandemic, I wanted to stay locked in," Beverley said. "Let's call Kawhi. I go down there and work out with him. Down there three weeks. It was supposed to be a one week trip, turned into three weeks."
Within those three weeks, Patrick Beverley's entire outlook on hard work changed. Kobe Bryant has always been revered for his work ethic, and his obsessive capacity to get the work in. That capacity included inhuman amounts of repetition to get ready for big game moments. Kawhi Leonard spent close time with Kobe Bryant, and emulated that same work ethic.
"The repetition of the same thing," Beverley said. "I thought I was a guy who worked hard, I know I'm a guy who works hard. When I left there, working hard was a very different mindset than what I had, and what I thought I had."
The experience was life-changing for Beverley. Very few players in the NBA have the chip on their shoulder that Beverley has. In 2009, he was drafted by the Lakers, traded to Miami one day later, and then was cut. He remained in Europe for the next four years, and never had a never shot in the NBA until 2013. That's the type of do-or-die background Patrick Beverley comes from. Even with all of that history, Kawhi Leonard's work ethic redefined everything for Beverley.
There are no secrets to talent. Many times, it's often as simple as hard work. Some players may be more naturally gifted, but not all players work the same. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are who they are because of their work ethic. In the words of Jordan, basketball was not a "God-given gift." Working out with Kawhi Leonard was a stark reminder of this for Patrick Beverley.
"It's all because of repetition. Simple as that."
