Bradley Beal Doesn’t Owe You an Apology

Put yourself in his shoes.

I once wrote for a publication that I felt never appreciated the work I did. Well, I know they didn't (at least that's what their offer for me to stay indicated). Surely, the figure wasn't even a fraction of what the Phoenix Suns are paying Bradley Beal, but that's not the point.

A truly disappointing era ended in Phoenix on Wednesday when the Suns and Beal agreed to a buyout. In his farewell post to the fanbase, Beal posted just a 'peace sign' emoji. Fans erupted.

"Good riddance, clowns," one well-known Suns fan said on X (formerly Twitter) of Beal and Kevin Durant, who responded to Beal's post with a laughing emoji.

Therein lies the problem. And it sort of struck a chord with me.

I don't know if even 10 people were reading the stories I was putting out for said publication, but I know for sure that it wasn't worth any figure of money trying to do what I loved for someone who didn't appreciate it at all.

And that, my friends, is why this chord is playing a fine tune in my ears.

I interacted with Beal frequently this past Suns season. Under all the scrutiny he'd been going through, the constant disappointment of injury and sheer underperformance derailing a season, I understood something that my naivete as a fan of the NBA before covering the league and interacting with players didn't allow me to understand -- the players are just like us.

You can say, "Well, if I were making that much money doing something I love, I wouldn't be complaining," which is a common complaint of disgruntled fans. But you just don't understand. Beal loves basketball.

And no amount of money on this planet can just turn someone off from the constant hate, heckling, and utter disrespect Beal (and his family) received online and even at games during his time in Phoenix.

Do you know how hard it would be to do the job that you love when hundreds of thousands of people are constantly criticizing you for doing it? And before you say it, players just can't "block out the noise." The times we're in right now, that simply isn't an option.

As Phoenix's season wound down, Beal missed 10 of the Suns' last 18 games with a nagging hamstring injury, much to the chagrin of fans. When he got back, though, he played in five of the last six games, noticeably smiling on the floor and playing with more joy.

In fact, he scored 25 and 21 points on good efficiency in the last two games. After what is now his last game in a Suns uniform, a 117-98 win over the San Antonio Spurs on April 11, I asked him what it took to get that joy back on the floor.

His answer:

"That's kinda something I always take pride in, man. I always try to go back and really enjoy every facet of the game. (I) take pride in smiling out there. I know a lot of people are like, 'don't smile on the floor,' but it's like, when you played this game when you were five years old, you smiled and it was fun.

"When you get to the NBA, it's the same thing. ... I think, a lot of times, we get caught up in X's and O's and the box score, and we eliminate the fact that we're human beings and we play a game because it's fun. This is the most fun sport ever created. So, there's always gon' be joy in that, and I feel like every time I step on the floor, I try and find that joy."

Injury was one of the main reasons Phoenix's Big Three never panned out. Over two seasons, Beal missed 58 games. I'd argue the potential of these last two Suns seasons was never truly actualized because of injury. I'll acknowledge other factors like the limited roster-building potential and overall fit of three isolation scorers, too.

Suns fans never wanted to hear that, though. They often mistook missing games with serious injuries for not giving an ounce of effort or physical and mental toughness. They resorted to harassing Beal on social media and even heckling him at games in front of his wife and children.

I know. It's "part of the game." But sit back and really put yourself in his shoes. Ask yourself, why would I want to play for an organization whose fans hate me? Why would I want to send out a heartfelt message saying goodbye to fans who never respected me? What did they expect, me to be appreciative of my time here?

You might not want to hear this - but Bradley Beal doesn't owe you an apology.