Apr 9, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley (21) reacts after scoring a basket in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Ex-NBA Player Checks Patrick Beverley in Defense of Trae Young

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 9:04 AM ET

Patrick Beverley’s response to Trae Young hasn’t gone over well with some current and former NBA players.

As the ex-NBA guard took shots at Trae Young for not winning enough and not being a great leader, in his opinion, Beverley heard from Kevin Durant and the outspoken Jeff Teague.

“This [expletive] getting outta hand, man,” Durant wrote to Beverley on social media, before saying that the former defensive standout sounds “delusional.”

Teague took a similar stance, claiming that Beverley’s comments can’t clear because he hasn’t been on the same level as Young throughout his NBA career.

“There are some people you just can’t box with, bro. I’m not about to go box—I’m a featherweight trying to fight Mike Tyson—you good at your level. They never drew up a play for Pat Bev. It’s no disrespect. It’s just the truth,” Teague said on Club 520.

Beverley has embraced his role in the NBA as an enforcer-type, who brings defensive intensity. He’s bought into the idea of starring in a non-star role, which is something that many players struggle to accept when they get to the league.

When Beverley accused All-Star-caliber players of taking the game for granted, that’s where Young had to step in and suggest the 37-year-old needs to “relax” and let the stars comment on other stars. Beverley felt that Young was out of line because he hadn’t won enough in the NBA to speak to him that way. Meanwhile, a guy like Teague sees it the other way around.

"[Trae] gets every play. It’s literally his franchise,” Teague said of Young. “If you put Pat Bev in Trae Young’s spot, they’re not winning 40 games. It’s too much pressure. I’m not saying Pat Bev can’t hoop—he can hoop—but he’s not a 28-point scorer. … It’s just realistic. Some [players] are just better than you.”

Beverley pointed to his nine playoff runs as a reason why he feels like Young shouldn’t have much to say on the matter. Then again, Beverley has been a pro since 2008—playing in the NBA since 2013. The 27-year-old Young was drafted a decade after Beverley suited up in Ukraine.

Young might have just three playoff runs on his resume, but he has plenty of time left to go. And since he’s been named an All-Star four times, along with being an All-NBA winner in 2022, Young has proven a lot in the NBA, giving him the right to defend himself against the former guard.