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Former NBA guard Patrick Beverley has opened up about the difficult start to his professional career in Ukraine, explaining how the experience shaped the mentality he carried throughout his basketball journey.
"I get a call to play in Ukraine – second division, Ukraine," Beverley said on the Out The Mud Podcast. "I hopped on that plane so fast. I was out of there."
Beverley left Arkansas in 2008 and began his professional career with BC Dnipro in Ukraine. He played 46 games during the 2008-09 season, averaging 16.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks.
"When you hear this backstory and see the reason why I play the way I play, it makes sense," Beverley noted. "It makes sense that I celebrate all the small wins. I appreciate every small win."
His season in Ukraine eventually helped him get back onto the NBA radar. Beverley was selected with the No. 42 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 NBA Draft, with his draft rights later traded to the Miami Heat.
Beverley remembers life in Ukraine
Beverley recalled how different his first professional experience was from what he would later experience in the NBA.
"I went to Ukraine and just imagine – second division Ukraine. Not even first division," Beverley said.
"No planes, no buses. We took trains everywhere," Beverley added. "I'm talking about 21-hour train rides. I'm going to places I had never seen before.
"I'm probably making 6,000 a month. I don't care. I'm just hooping. I'm eating borscht [soup]. I'm for real."
From Ukraine to NBA
After his season with Dnipro, Beverley signed with Olympiacos in 2009 instead of immediately moving to the NBA.
Beverley later moved to Spartak St. Petersburg, where he won the EuroCup MVP award for the 2011-12 season. Houston signed him in 2013, finally giving him his NBA opportunity.
He went on to play 666 NBA regular-season games, averaging 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while earning three NBA All-Defensive selections.
During his long NBA career, Beverley suited up for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks.