Former Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley has been in the news lately, and it has nothing to do with an NBA comeback. The guard is currently in the middle of an online back-and-forth with Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young, with the lack of the ladder's leadership serving as the main talking point. Beverley has even brought up Giannis Antetokounmpo to slight Young's leadership capabilities.
"Every time we see you, you’re working out at another place. We never see you at the Hawks’ arena working out. What teammate? What leader?
I come to the Lakers facility, LeBron is there at five o'clock in the morning. I come to Milwaukee Bucks facility to get my work in, Greek is already there. James Harden is there, practices, and comes back again at night. You're the only person we see on the internet never at your practice facility. It’s wild. It's wild. If we’re going to be real, let’s be real. You’re not a great leader."
Beverley highlights underrated Giannis attribute
Overlooking the beef for a second, it is nice to hear someone discuss Giannis' leadership, as it is one of his most overlooked traits. While he presents himself as a happy, dad-joke-making guy off the court, he also knows how to lock in and rally those around him. Even if it's something as subtle as being at the facility before everyone else, that's great leadership from the Greek Freak.
Rain, shine, or snow, that's Giannis. The highlight-reel dunks and flashy passes will always garner the most attention in discussions, but his leadership and dedication deserve equal praise.
As for the beef itself, it's just one of those late offseason stories where everyone is waiting for the NBA season to start. Patrick Beverley has every right to call out Young's lack of leadership if he deems it to be an issue. Likewise, Trae Young has every right to call out Beverley for seeing most of his success as a role player rather than a main option with much more on his shoulders like him.
In fact, Beverley's comment isn't the only time Giannis has been mentioned in this beef. Young listed Giannis when discussing the other big-name players Beverley has suited up with across his career. Beverley's time in Milwaukee was short, coming over at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline and leaving the following offseason, so they weren't together long, but they did indeed share the court together.
In addition to Giannis, Beverley has played with greats like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard - who is also featured quite heavily in the news for drastically different reasons - and James Harden, among many others. Young hasn't had that luxury yet. Still, that shouldn't prevent Beverley from offering criticism. If a quality role player who lasted over a decade in the league can't deal criticism, who exactly can?
It'll be interesting to see if Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks continue to find themselves featured in this ongoing online beef.
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