CHICAGO – When he takes the floor on Friday against the Nets, it will be a full circle moment for the native of Chicago.
Patrick Beverley was a star in high school in the city, but his road in collegiate and professional basketball took him around the globe. Now in his 11th season in the NBA, the guard will get the chance to play for his hometown Bulls when they kick off the second half against the Nets.
So here is the journey for Beverley from a standout prospect in Chicago to a sustained career in professional basketball.
Starting at Wabounsie Valley High School in Aurora, he transferred to John Marshall High School in Chicago where he first made a name for himself on the court. He averaged 37.3 points per game as a senior, leading the State of Illinois, and was a Chicago Tribune All-State selection.
At Arkansas, Beverley got off to a fast start, winning the SEC’s Freshman of the Year Award in the 2006-2007 season along with making the conference’s All-Freshman team. The next season he remained a starter and scored 12.1 points, grabbed 6.6 rebounds, and dished out 2.4 assists per contest.
Beverley was named to the All-SEC second team as the Razorbacks made the NCAA Tournament, losing in the second round.
That sophomore season would be the last for Beverley in Fayetteville as he was suspended for the 2008-2009 season due to academic issues.
At that point, the guard decided to go overseas and first played in Ukraine with BC Dnipro where he spent the 2008-2009 season. After being picked by the Lakers in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft and then being traded the day after to the Heat, Beverley signed with Olympiacos Piraeus in Greece for the 2009-2010 season.
He then joined Spartak St. Petersburg in Russia in 2011 where he played through the 2012 calendar year, and like other stops, Beverley had plenty of success. He was an All-Star in Ukraine in 2009, a Russian League All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, a two-time Russian League first team selection, and the 2012 Euro Cup MVP.
Beverley made his way back to the United States as he signed with the Rockets early in 2013, making his NBA debut on January 15 of that year.
Houston is where the guard would call home for five seasons as he would become known for his defensive prowess on the court. Beverley was an All-NBA Defensive second team selection in the 2013-2014 season and was selected to the first team in 2016-2017, when he was also named the NBA’s Hustle Award winner.
Beverley was traded to the Clippers before the 2017-2018 season in the deal that sent Chris Paul to the Rockets.
In that first season in Los Angeles, the guard was off to a good start, averaging a career-high in steals (1.7 per game) and points (12.2 per game) through 11 games. But surgery on an ailing right knee would end his season early.
In the 2019-2020 season, Beverley once again made the All-NBA Defensive second team.
Beverley has had few stops during the past two seasons, starting with the Timberwolves, who acquired him from the Grizzlies after they briefly picked him up in a trade from the Clippers. He was a key contributor to a Minnesota team that made the playoffs and then was able to advance out of the play-in tournament.
In this past offseason, Beveley was dealt to the Jazz as part of the Rudy Gobert trade then traded a month-and-a-half later to the Lakers. In 45 starts this season for Los Angeles, the guard was averaging 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and just under a steal a game.
