Patrick Beverley: “I Didn’t Watch Any NBA. I Was Like ‘Forget the NBA.'”

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Still – not the laid-back type.

Interesting interview today from CBS with the Houston Rockets’ new starting point guard. Things are looking up now for Beverley’s career, but that wasn’t the case nearly three years ago when he was freezing his butt off in Russia trying to earn a buck:

What comes to mind when you think back to being overseas and wanting to be in the league, following it from afar?

Actually when I was overseas I didn’t watch any NBA. I was like, ‘Forget the NBA,’ and this and that. ‘Cause I was hurt that I wasn’t on an NBA team. I kind of was rebellious when it came to that because I was kind of jealous and envious that I wasn’t on an NBA team, so I kind of just focused on my game and focused on overseas.

[and staying warm, I should add]

 

Most of the interview covers his summer activities (which included a ton of workouts with fellow Chicago natives Derrick Rose, Will Bynum, Tony Allen) but at one point he did have a chance to talk about his two seasons playing for the University of Arkansas:

Do you ever stop and think about your journey, coming from Chicago and going overseas before the league?

All the time. I’ll never forget where I come from. Especially my humble beginnings. I’m appreciative and I’m more humble than anything, especially with me and my grandmother, her still staying in the city. So when I go back, I see all of that again and I’m just in a position where I’m blessed and I can kind of take care of others. It puts me in a position where I appreciate things more, you know?

Chance not taken.

Little wonder he didn’t want to rehash a messy departure that included half-accusations of his Razorback teammates cheating on tests. “Someone from Arkansas was doing papers, was doing me and some of my teammates’ papers,” Beverley said in 2009. “Basically, instead of ratting my team out, I just said it was just me. I was forced to have a year of ineligibility.”

Messiness Schpelphryness, I really I loved watching P-Bev play. (Still do)  He remains the best 6-2 or shorter rebounder at the major college level I have ever seen. Put somebody like him on this current Razorback basketball team, and they’re making the Sweet Sixteen.

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