Damian Lillard Reacts to Patrick Beverley Trade from 76ers to Bucks

In this story:
It was reported by Patrick Beverley himself via his Pat Bev Podcast account that the veteran guard had been traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Milwaukee Bucks. The deal lands Beverley with longtime rival Damian Lillard, which is an immediate storyline.
Beverley and Lillard have had a notable beef since the 2020 NBA bubble, when the two went back and forth following a game between the Portland Trail Blazers and LA Clippers. Mocking Lillard's "Dame Time" celebration after Lillard missed clutch free throws, Beverley went viral for laughing at the star point guard on the bench:
Pat Bev and Marcus Morris' reactions to Dame missing potential game-winning free throws 😅 pic.twitter.com/keEaBCQn3t
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 8, 2020
Lillard fired back after the game, saying he has sent both Beverley and Paul George home in the playoffs before. This was just the first of numerous occasions where Beverley and Lillard had some contentious moments, with Beverley again mocking Lillard's celebration while with the Los Angeles Lakers:
Pat Bev mocks Dame Time pic.twitter.com/W1KwsyTqwm
— dave (@nbadaves) January 23, 2023
Now teammates with Beverley, Lillard told Chris Haynes of NBA TNT and Bleacher Report, "First, I want to say I’m sad to see Cam [Payne] go. We developed a friendship that I cherish. As for Pat, he brings an edge and a defensive tenacity on the perimeter that we need. There are not many players who bring it on a nightly like him. I look forward to working together. Our past personal issues don’t trump an opportunity to win a championship."
Putting the past behind them, Beverley and Lillard will look to compete for a championship in Milwaukee.
Related Articles
Philadelphia 76ers Star Reveals Honest Feelings on James Harden
Exclusive: Russell Westbrook Opens Up About Role With Clippers
James Harden Opens Up About Playing for Clippers After Rough Few Years

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.
Follow joeylinn_