Patrick Beverley is taking athlete-driven media to new lengths.
The controversial, oft-ejected NBA journeyman guard hosts The Pat Bev Pod for Barstool Sports, where he talks crap and weighs in on the drama around the league. But last Friday night, after his Philadelphia 76ers beat the Orlando Magic, it appears Beverley sent a “plant” into the Magic postgame press conference to generate content for his show.
At least according to Orlando-based reporters Brandon Kravitz and Dilan Bosch.
After a clip from The Pat Bev Pod circulated on X (formerly Twitter) of Beverley responding to Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. saying, “No one’s really worried about Patrick … he’s just trying to get us to buy into his online antics,” Kravitz pointed out he did not recognize the voice of the person asking Carter the question.
Kravitz accused Beverley of sending a “plant” to ask Carter the question for the sole purpose of drumming up the soundbite.
I recognize every voice that asks questions in Magic post game pressers. I strongly believe this was a Pat Bev plant. https://t.co/qnjlEnRFkG
— Brandon Kravitz (@BrandonKravitz) January 25, 2024
Bosch, an independent reporter based in Orlando, confirmed Kravitz’s suspicions.
“It was a plant for sure,” Bosch wrote on X. “Pat just wants clicks to boost his POD.”
Hey. It was a plant for sure. I was in the press conference room when that happened and after the press conference I went in front of the sixers locker room to see the players walk out. As I’m waiting I see pat Bev and the “reporter” who asked that question greet each other
— Dilan Bosch (@DilanBosch) January 25, 2024
Bosch added that he saw Beverley and the “reporter” mingling postgame outside the visiting locker room. He overheard Beverley ask the questioner, “You got it?” before the person confirmed.
Neither Beverley nor the podcast’s social media accounts have responded.
Unqualified people are welcomed into sports press conferences all the time. But that doesn’t mean this is normal.
In fact, as athletes constantly push back on media for being exploitative or unfair, this is just about the most extreme version of clickbait and bias you could find on any sports podcast. Beverley little-fished for an answer that he could react to as “disrespect.”
Without Beverley’s minion planting the question, Beverley wouldn’t have had anything to respond to in the first place. Come on.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.