Patrick Beverley ‘super excited’ to play with Westbrook, coach adds they may play together

Feud? What feud?

Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook may have had one of the NBA’s longest-running and nastiest beefs (dating back to the 2013 playoffs), but they are teammates now on the Los Angeles Lakers, and to hear Beverley talk on Tuesday it’s all good now. Nothing to see here, move along. Here is what he said, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

“Super excited,” Beverley interrupted when asked about his relationship and fit with Westbrook. “… I was asked this question two, three years ago, [about] someone I always wanted to play with and [Westbrook] was the first name. I have [known] Bron since I was a baby, a rookie in this league, so obviously I want to play with him.

“But a player with that competitive spirit, that fire, that will, that dog, that nastiness, that grit, to have a running mate like that, I have never had that. So I am super excited to see where it goes. Obviously like any relationship or any marriage, things, we are going to have tough conversations. That is what comes with winning, but I am excited about those conversations, I am excited about the practices. I am just excited to be able to compete with someone like that.”

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said he might even play Westbrook and Beverley together in the backcourt (it wouldn’t be surprising if that combo starts opening night against the Warriors).

“If they play defense,” Ham said. “We’ve got a while. That’s still a ways off, but definitely… But, I’m not scared of that,” Ham added. “It’s definitely a bullet in the chamber. We’re looking forward to it, man, those guys in the backcourt together, man.”

Welcome to the honeymoon part of the preseason, before any practices, any games, and before any tests or adversity. Right now it’s all puppies and