Patrick Beverley-Raptors beef, explained: How 76ers guard used podcast to irk Scottie Barnes, Dennis Schroder

If there's one thing fans have learned throughout Patrick Beverley's 11 seasons in the NBA, it's that he has plenty to say on the court. Now that he has his podcast, Beverley has another means to speak his mind, be it analysis or trash talk.

When it comes to the trash talk, anyone who isn't on Beverley's team is liable to be on the receiving end. Ahead of the 2023-24 season, the 76ers guard took direct aim at the Raptors, adding a new dynamic to a pre-existing rivalry.

With Toronto and Philadelphia meeting twice in the first eight days of the season, Beverley has relished in the opportunity to double down on his brash assessment of the Raptors. Here's how he's fanned the flames of rivalry between divisional foes.

MORE: Potential solutions to unlock the Raptors' offense

Patrick Beverley's Raptors beef explained

On Episode 54 of the "Pat Bev Podcast," Beverley and his co-host, Rone, previewed the NBA season by placing teams in tiers. Upon the first mention of the Raptors, Beverley was quick to state what he viewed as the team's biggest flaw.

"Who's the dog on that team?" Beverley asked.

When his co-host suggested that one of Pascal Siakam or O.G. Anunoby fill that role, Beverley said "I'm cool." 

Beverley piled on, saying "[If] I see Anunoby down a dark alley, I'm cool — I don't feel [anything]. I see Siakam down a dark alley, I don't feel threatened.

"And this isn't any disrespect for them but if I see Siakam with a ball in his hand and it's a dark alley and it's a rim in that b—, OK, cool, this who I got [to go against] for the throne? I feel good about it."

Beverley, who used the dark alley as a metaphor for guarding either player in isolation, maintained that he didn't intend for his comments to come off as disrespectful to anyone specifically but he doubled down in saying that "it's nothing that I'm afraid of."

Just days after Beverley's comments began to circulate, he was in Toronto to face the Raptors in an early-season meeting. And while Beverley scored just two points in 17 minutes, he was a plus-10 in the box score as the Sixers earned a 114-107 win.

MORE: Winners and losers from opening week of NBA season

Moments after the game came to an end, Beverley took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to again double down on his assessment while plugging his podcast.

Like I said. No dogs @PatBevPod

— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) October 29, 2023

Days after the teams met, Beverley returned to the podcast to share his account of the first head-to-head between him and the Raptors, sharing that Scottie Barnes and Dennis Schröder took exception to his comments about the team's makeup.

According to Beverley, he ran into Schröder the morning of the game, with Schröder mentioning the comments and saying something to the tune of "you know how I get down," referencing their time as teammates with the Lakers.

Schröder apparently added that he and the Raptors would be coming for Beverley because of what he said. Naturally, Beverley relished in that statement.

"That's how I knew I felt good about it. When somebody tells you they're 'coming for you' — you don't have to tell John Wick you're coming for them or you don't have to tell the person John Wick is coming for. You know what the f– is going on."

Beverley added that during the game, he laughed when Barnes attempted to intimidate him by bumping him and calling him out of his name. At halftime, Beverley says he questioned Barnes about it, citing their summer pick-up runs together, prompting Barnes to apologize by saying "My bad."

"Keep it gangster. It's funny, people run into me and they see me but when we get refs and it's 20,000 people, it's very different," Beverley said of his encounters with other NBA players.

"And that's how I knew we were gonna win, too. That's not your character. That's the s— I know, I wouldn't say mind games but if I see a weakness, I'm going to hit it."

Based on Beverley's assessment of the situation and willingness to continue to reiterate his original points, it's safe to say there will be an extra element of tension each time the 76ers and Raptors meet this season.

Proving Beverley wrong will undoubtedly be something on the minds of most — if not all — players in Toronto's locker room.

MORE: Did the 76ers get enough of a return in the James Harden trade?

Raptors vs. 76ers schedule 2023-24

After meeting twice in the first two weeks of the NBA season, the Raptors and 76ers will meet twice more. Toronto will visit the Wells Fargo Center in late December and Philadelphia will return to Scotiabank Arena in late March.