He's one of the biggest antagonists in the league — a player who leaves it all on the court every time he plays the game.
He's widely considered the heart and soul of every team he suits up for, somebody who plays with more passion and emotion than arguably anybody else in the NBA.
And now he's coming to the snowcapped mountains of Salt Lake City.
Welcome to the Utah Jazz, Patrick Beverley.
Here are five things to know about Utah's newest emotional leader:
1.) PASSION AND FIRE
Although he's listed at 6-foot-1 and 187 pounds, there might not be a player in the NBA who plays with more passion and fire than Beverley. From Houston to the LA Clippers and, most recently, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Beverley has emerged as the physical and emotional leader of every team he's suited up for.
He makes up for his lack of size by simply playing harder and wanting it more than anybody else. His ability to ignite a crowd or take out another's team's star is the stuff of legends, as there's nobody in the game Beverley will back down from.
He's the exact player Utah could use in its locker room and on its roster — somebody willing to do all the dirty work while still displaying the veteran leadership highly coveted by every team in the league.
"Patrick Beverley, longtime NBA antagonist, brings great defensive fire, and that intensity is needed with our team. … He has shown it over a number of years," Utah GM Justin Zanik said.
2.) PLAYOFF BOUND
A 10-year veteran, Beverley has been to the playoffs nine times in his career — the one time he missed was when he suffered a season-ending wrist injury, although the Rockets made the postseason that year.
He brings the sort of energy that is 110% contagious, helping change the direction of teams because everyone buys into what he says and does.
Simply put, everywhere Beverley goes, he wins.
The best example of the Beverley effect happened with Minnesota last season.
Two years ago, the Timberwolves finished 23-49, a .319 winning percentage. Last season, with Beverley as the team's only significant addition, the Timberwolves finished 46-36, a .561 winning percentage. They pushed the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies to six games before falling in the first round.
3.) EUROPEAN PEDIGREE
Before Beverley would emerge as one of the best defensive guards of the last decade, he was just a young player looking for his chance in the NBA.
After leaving Arkansas following his sophomore season in 2008, he headed overseas to suit up for BC Dinpro of the Ukrainian basketball league. He averaged 16.7 points, 7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks while being named to the UBL All-Star game.
After being drafted by the Lakers with the 42nd overall pick in the 2009 draft, Beverley was traded to the Miami Heat, where he was later cut. He headed back overseas, playing for Olympiacos Piraeus, leading them to the Greek Cup title while reaching the finals of both the EuroLeague and the Greek League.
Following a year off, he suited up for Spartak St. Petersburg, where he was named the EuroCup MVP for the 2011–12 season. He played with Spartak until he signed a multiyear deal with the Houston Rockets, beginning his NBA career.
4.) DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE
While he's best known for being an antagonist and one of the most passionate players in the league, Beverley is also highly effective as one of the best defensive guards in the game.
From defending LeBron James to Steph Curry, there's no matchup that the guard believes he can't win. With his intelligence and sneaky long length (6-foot-8 wingspan), Beverley still has the athleticism and strength to stay with the elite guards in the game today.
Beverley was named first-team all-defense in 2017 while garnering second-team honors in 2014 and 2020.
5.) THREE-POINT THREAT
It's already been widely documented what sort of intangibles, and defensive Beverley brings to the court.
But many don't know or realize that he's an excellent three-point shooter. He's a career 37.8% shooter from beyond the arc, including a recent stretch of six straight seasons where he knocked down at least 38.2% from deep.
While last season's average dropped to 34.3% from three-point territory, Beverley still averaged 9.2 points, 4.,6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in just 25.4 minutes per game.
