Patrick Beverley Responds to Matt Barnes Ripping James Harden, Defending Chris Paul
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZucker
Featured Columnist IVMay 17, 2022
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley didn't wait long to make his rebuttal to former NBA veteran Matt Barnes.
On Monday, Barnes took exception to some pointed critiques Beverley made about Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul, calling Beverley's comments "completely disrespectful and out of the line."
ESPN @espn.<a href="https://twitter.com/Matt_Barnes22?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Matt_Barnes22</a> was not a fan of Patrick Beverley's criticism of Chris Paul:<br><br>"There's a thin line between being critical and disrespecting. And I feel like what Pat Beverley did today to Chris Paul, was completely disrespectful and out of the line." <a href="https://t.co/3q2xmJLrB8">pic.twitter.com/3q2xmJLrB8</a>
Beverley was again on ESPN's Get Up on Tuesday and offered a response, highlighting what Barnes has said recently about Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden:
"Matt Barnes made comments yesterday, which he's entitled to, everybody's entitled to their own opinion, right. But Matt Barnes was also an NBA player also, so for him to make comments supporting his opinion about Chris Paul, I respect, I totally do. But you go up there and tell your NBA brother, you go up there and tell the whole world that [James Harden] doesn't deserve his money when you were just in the NBA, I don't know eight, nine, 10 years ago. What if someone said that to you? You'd be ready to fight. But now since you're not in the league no more, it's OK for you to talk about this man not getting the money that he's worked his entire life to deserve? Like, I don't understand it. Like, who raised you guys? Like, how come you're able to speak about somebody getting cooked, but then when it's your NBA brother, the same league that you played in, the same way that you take care of your family, all of a sudden he doesn't deserve this? Like, no one did that to you. I just don't understand it."
Barnes wasn't the only person within the NBA ecosystem who thought Beverley's assessment of Paul was over the top.
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard called out the 33-year-old on Twitter:
Beverley has never been shy to voice his opinion on the court and off it. He's a prolific trash-talker, and he clearly isn't afraid of bringing that same kind of personality to the television cameras.
Hearing the 33-year-old's unvarnished opinions certainly makes for compelling viewing, and fans can probably expect to see him more and more based on how much he's driving NBA discourse right now.