Pat Bev has a very interesting tell-all.
Chicago Bulls guard Patrick Beverley has a lot of time on his hands right now after his squad failed to make it to the NBA Playoffs, falling short in the Play-in tournament. Speaking on his podcast, the gritty guard revealed that half of NBA players don’t really love the game of basketball but are really good at it.
The good ones don’t put in the work
The veteran guard did not name anyone, but he asserted that it’s the really talented ones that don’t really exhibit as much passion for the game.
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“Most teammates I know who don’t love basketball are the really f—ing good ones — are the most skilled ones. It’s the wildest s*** in the world,” said Beverley.
Despite that, these players, said Beverley, still manage to put up incredible numbers just off of their sheer talent and skill. However, the former Arkansas star added that while that approach may fly in the regular season, things may not necessarily click in the NBA Playoffs.
“Preparation is different when you got so much skill. You could just show up to the game and get a motherf***ing 30, 40. That might work against other teams who aren’t that good. But you can’t do that in the playoffs.”
Love is in the details
What does love mean in basketball? For Beverley, it means paying attention to all the details during your preparation and making sure every little thing is executed properly.
“Now, can you have all that energy and put it in basketball? Is it watching film? Is it extra shots? Is it free throws? Is it working on off-hand s***? Is it working on shots that you might not even use, just to have something in your back pocket? Preparation — how prepared are you? Do you know the coach’s philosophy? Do you know what the coaches want from you? It might be different from what you want from you.”
These are things Beverley certainly is familiar with. After all, his journey to the NBA is unlike most NBA stars—he was a second-round pick in 2009 who had to go overseas to make a living before returning home and playing for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, and then, Chicago. So he knows that hard work and hustle can get you far.
Source: si.com
