Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Beverley indicated that a video showing him throwing a ball at a spectator Thursday was misleading but later added that “I have to be better.”
Cameras showed Beverley sitting on the bench and tossing a ball into the stands. The ball hit a fan with about 2½ minutes left in Milwaukee’s 120-98 Game 6 loss at Indiana that knocked the Bucks out of the playoffs. After a different fan threw the ball back to Beverley, who was holding his arm out for it, the Bucks guard fired it back at that spectator.
Beverley declined to answer a question about it while speaking to reporters after the game. But he replied to an X post that showed the video by saying, “Not Fair at all. Exchanged between a fan and our ball club all night. We warned and asked for help all night. Not fair.”
Six hours later, Beverley issued another X post saying, “But I have to be better. And I will.”
Also during his postgame media session, Beverley wouldn’t allow an ESPN producer to ask a question after discovering that she didn’t subscribe to his podcast. He told her to get her microphone out of his face and eventually asked her to leave the interview circle.
ESPN producer Malinda Adams posted on X that Beverley apologized to her, as did the Bucks organization.
I want to thank everyone for their kind words and support. I am humbled. Patrick Beverley just called me and apologized. I appreciate it and accept it. The Bucks also reached out to apologize. I’ve been in news for over 40 years and kindness and grace always win.
— Malinda Adams (@MalindaAdams) May 3, 2024
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Friday that he had spoken to Beverley.
“That’s not the Milwaukee way or the Bucks way,” Rivers said. “We’re better than that. Pat feels awful about that. He also understands emotionally — this is an emotional game and things happen — unfortunately, you’re judged immediately and he let the emotions get the better of him.”
Rivers said Beverley called Adams on his own without being told to do so by the Bucks.
“I had not seen that interview,” Rivers said. “I just heard that that happened. So we talked about that and then the ball-throwing incident. And he made the comment to me about what was being said back his way, and I just said, ‘I get it, but we’re coaches and athletes, we’re the entertainers or whatever we are. Sometimes they can be in the wrong, but you just can’t do those certain things.’ And he knows that as well.”
Beverley started all six of Milwaukee’s playoff games, averaging 8.2 points, 5.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
