Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley lost his cool at the end of the Western Conference Finals, blatantly pushing Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul in the back after the point guard Suns walked past him to head to the bench. It was a low blow and a dirty move that led to a match suspension to start next season, but Beverley apologized for it after the fact.
Still, fans weren’t happy with Beverley’s push, and one fan revealed on Twitter that he sent a message to NBA commissioner Adam Silver complaining about it. The fan posted the NBA response and didn’t seem too enthusiastic:
I let asilver@nba.com know how I felt about Patrick Beverley attacking Chris Paul at the end of Game 6.
Here’s what I got in response from the NBA coordinator Bill.
While I appreciate the answer, excuse me while
Chris Paul Sweater, Patrick Beverley is a rather polarizing figure in the NBA due to his antics. He has a well-known grudge against Russell Westbrook and often points the line when it comes to dirty play. The Clippers veteran also has a history of flopping.
He’s the kind of player you love to have on your team but hate looking into another team. It’s a total nuisance that leaves everything on the floor every night, but crosses the line sometimes.
Beverley certainly deserved the suspension for pushing Paul. It was totally out of place and it shouldn’t have happened. The NBA’s response to this fan also seems reasonable. They punished the Clippers guard and explained the situation. Perhaps it could be argued that he should have received more severe punishment because he’s not exactly a first time offender when it comes to dirty games, but that feels fair.
