Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac disputes allegations that teammate Patrick Beverley mistreated NBPA head Michele Roberts during a meeting. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Patrick Beverley 'never' told Michele Roberts 'I pay your bills'

By Blake Harper | Last updated Aug 28, 2020 3:32 PM ET

Patrick Beverley faced intense criticism after he reportedly told players' union executive director Michele Roberts "I pay your salary" as she was explaining the financial impact of players possibly leaving the Bubble. However, Ivica Zubac has said these rumors aren't true, as he tweeted that his Clippers' teammate "never said anything like this."

The Clippers center responded to a story about the controversial (and potentially made-up) exchange, retweeting it with the caption: "I don’t know who leaks this stuff, but Pat never said anything like this..."

I don’t know who leaks this stuff, but Pat never said anything like this... ‍♂️ https://t.co/HYyUuugekL
— Ivica Zubac (@ivicazubac) August 28, 2020

Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks wrote that she had spoken to several players who said that while there was a "moment" between the two, that their difference had been "completely resolved" after the two spoke Thursday morning. Several other NBA players have also said the tense "moment" did not really happen as it has been charactized, as Magic forward Vic Law tweeted "that is not what [Beverley] said."

Quite frankly, I don’t know what reporter was in the room, but I can definitively say that is not what he said. https://t.co/8QUklB6hJj
— Vic Law (@Followthe_LAW) August 28, 2020

Does this mean that Beverley did not say "I pay your salary" to Roberts? Perhaps, but at the same time, some still believe that NBA players may simply be protecting one of their own from public scrutiny. Perhaps Beverley did say it but upon being called out by several other players, as was reported by Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, he realized his mistake and apologized to Roberts for his offensive comments.

Ultimately, it's unlikely that we'll ever really get to know what happened in that "moment," unless Beverley and Roberts decide to share their story with the media.

Blake Harper

Blake Harper is a writer based in New York. He's originally from San Diego and is one of the few Chargers fans left. He doesn't believe in ties and loves elaborate celebrations. Follow him on Twitter @beezyharps

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