Patrick Beverley’s second stint in European basketball has given him a new perspective. The point guard, who left the NBA in 2024 to head to Israel, Greece, and now France, has been able to gain a deeper understanding of the differences between these leagues and the American one, and he has concluded that some of the NBA’s biggest superstars on the other side of the Atlantic would not be able to adapt to Europe. At least, that is what he stated in his appearance on the podcast Thanalysis.
«There are several current NBA superstars who could not play in Europe. I mean it,» he said, immediately making clear that this is not a question of talent. «The adaptation process is completely different. I don’t want it to seem like I’m undervaluing their physical abilities or what they can do on the court; I’m talking about a matter of mentality.»
Beverley then addressed some of the differences between one form of basketball and another, highlighting those aspects that would cause the big stars, used to everything revolving around them in the United States, to have trouble with the continental switch. All of this, establishing a parallel between the European style and the NCAA.
«It’s almost like college basketball but for adults. The team comes above any individual. Everything goes through the team and the coach controls it all. In the middle of a game, the coach can decide that we don’t take a shot until there are fewer than six seconds left in possession, and you have to nod along. It’s a completely different kind of basketball. And the practices are completely different; you have to compete every day and there isn’t a single day of rest».
«Sometimes you even have to share a hotel room with a teammate, and trips aren’t organized with the NBA’s convenience, although it’s true that this is an aspect that has improved a lot» he concluded.
With all this, more than as an attempt to diminish the attitude of some NBA big names, Beverley approached the topic when asked about certain content creators or players in the NCAA’s lower divisions who claim they could dominate in Europe. The point guard then defended this basketball, emphasizing that it demands a level of discipline and work that, in his view, would make the adaptation of several superstars impossible.
«It’s a great truth» stated Thanasis, the host of the podcast.
