When it comes to trash talk, Patrick Beverley could release a collection of greatest hits.
Beverley's latest submission to his archive of taunts came as he and the Bulls earned a road win over the Lakers, who, weeks earlier, traded him away at the NBA deadline.
With Chicago leading by eight late in the game, Beverley drove to the middle of the lane, stopped in his tracks, and got up a turnaround floater before LeBron James could contest the shot.
As soon as his shot went through the net, the 6-foot-2 Beverley lowered his hand to the floor to signify that the 6-foot-9 James was too small. To add insult to injury, Beverley's taunt came as the Bulls played spoiler to James' return from a four-week absence.
Pat Bev said, " YOU'RE TOO SMALL, LEBRON" 😂 pic.twitter.com/q8goywgCcg
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) March 26, 2023
The hilarity of the taunt comes from the irony of Beverley being seven inches shorter than James. It was a signature "Pat Bev" moment, summed up perfectly by an image shared by the Bulls on Twitter.
| Patrick Beverley | LeBron James | |
| 6'2'' | Height | 6'9'' |
| 180lb | Weight | 250lb |
| 6'7" | Wingspan | 7'0.25" |
| 34 | Age | 38 |
MORE: The origin story behind NBA's most disrespectful sign of trash talk
Between Beverley's smirk to James' look of exasperation, the picture itself is worth more than 1,000 words.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 26, 2023
At that point, Beverley, who was in his trash-talking zone, made sure to walk toward well-known LeBron fan Shannon Sharpe and pinch his nose to let him know what he thinks of the Lakers.
Patrick Beverley let Shannon Sharpe know that the Lakers stink 😆 pic.twitter.com/kwNmR0kz5I
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 26, 2023
It's a callback to Beverley doing the exact same thing while he was a member of the Timberwolves during the 2021-22 season.
Patrick Beverley calls the Lakers trash, then plugs his nose 😂 pic.twitter.com/ORTZ3Yjq9N
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) March 17, 2022
After the game, Beverley insisted that the taunt didn't signify any hard feelings towards LeBron or the Lakers, telling the Los Angeles Times “I do it to everybody. I was just having fun, getting lost in the game. Just getting lost in the game, having fun, man."
He also made sure to be clear that "LeBron, he has always been my big bro. He was my vet when I came into the league with the Miami Heat. AD, he is from Chicago and it’s always love. So, we built a real bond and I’m just happy those guys got it rolling and I’m happy for their success.”
It may not be anything personal, but Beverley has made it known that he wants to knock the Lakers out of playoff contention. He and the Bulls have another chance to make a hit to the Lakers' playoff hopes when they meet for a rematch at the United Center on Wednesday, March 29.
More trash talk and taunts are sure to follow.
