Los Angeles Clippers starPatrick Beverley is taking heat after dismissing the head of theNBA players' union during a heated meeting about the future of the NBA season Wednesday night.- According to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, the 6-foot-1 guard continually interrupted NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts as she tried to explain the financial repercussions of abandoning the league's
bubble . - When Roberts calmly asked if she could make her point, Beverley curtly responded, "No, I pay your salary," angering his colleagues and derailing the meeting.
- Clippers center Ivica Zubac came to his outspoken teammate's defense on Twitter, claiming that "Pat never said anything like this."
Patrick Beverley has long been known for his flamboyance on the hardwood, but the Los Angeles Clippers guard is now in hot water for his impudence off the court.
According to reporting from Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, the 6-foot-1 guard was one of many contention sources during an "ugly" meeting in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, Wednesday night. Hours after the Milwaukee Bucks spurred a league-wide strike to protest the police shooting of
While weighing the pros and cons of continuing the season as a group, NBA players union Executive Director Michele Roberts attempted to inform players of the financial repercussions they could face should they choose to abandon the bubble and forgo the remainder of the season. And as she was speaking, Beverley cut her off to assert that he "disagreed with her logic," according to Haynes.
Beverley further interrupted Roberts multiple times as she tried to make her point in front of the group, and when she eventually asked if she could finish her explanation, Beverley dismissed her outright.
"No, I pay your salary," Beverley said, per Haynes' sources.
The curt remark sparked "an uproar" with some of Beverley's fellow players, including NBPA President Chris Paul and veteran Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem, and helped prompt the group's decision to reconvene the following day when everyone had cooled off.
But according to Beverley's teammate, Clippers center Ivica Zubac, the scene in question never transpired. Zubac took to Twitter Friday morning to defend Beverley, claiming that "Pat never said anything like this."
—Ivica Zubac (@ivicazubac) August 28, 2020
Though she did not directly confirm that Beverley had made the comment about Roberts' salary, Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks said she spoke to some players who seconded Haynes' claims that Beverley and Roberts had a "moment."
—Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) August 28, 2020
After Haynes published his inside look at the meeting, NBA fans took to the internet to condemn Beverley for the rude comments, with many taking issue with the fact that he would speak down to a Black woman while discussing racial justice issues.
—Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) August 28, 2020
—Colb (@___Colb___) August 28, 2020
—David Dennis Jr. (@DavidDTSS) August 28, 2020
—Adena Jones (@adena_andrews) August 28, 2020
After further deliberations, NBA players agreed Thursday to continue with the season. It still remains unclear when teams will return to the floor for the remainder of the playoffs.
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