Just like us, Patrick Beverley also thought he was going to fight Russell Westbrook

Most anyone who has followed the NBA over the last decade probably had the same thought when the Lakers acquired Patrick Beverley this summer while still having Russell Westbrook on the roster.

“Oh buddy!”

Westbrook has made a lot of enemies during his time in the league but Beverley has been his arch-nemesis for years. The feud between the two began in 2013 when Westbrook suffered an injury on a play that involved Beverley. From there, the two have butted heads time and time again, most recently last season when Beverley, now on the Timberwolves, trolled the hell out of Westbrook as Minnesota routed the Lakers.

This summer, then, when the Lakers dealt out Talen Horton-Tucker for Pat Bev, there were questions about how the two could possibly coexist on the same roster. Would this be the moment the two finally came to blows?

It was a question even Pat Bev had when he joined the team. On the latest episode of Cold As Balls with Kevin Hart, Beverley talked about his first interactions with Russ after becoming a Laker.

The two did not come to blows — we don’t think — and instead PatBev claims they have become best friends. I’m not sure I buy that either but it’s better than the alternative, I guess?

It’s not a friendship that is probably going to be long-lived, at least not in Los Angeles. Russ has been in trade talks for months on end and Pat Bev is already eyeing a return to Minnesota. Unfortunately, their newfound friendship has not resulted in either being particularly great this season, even if Russ has done well to embrace his new role.

To be honest, though, nobody wants these two to like one another. It’s far more fun when they’re being petty and feuding. Enough of the buddy-buddy talk. Send them to separate teams to reignite this rivalry once again.

New episodes of Cold As Balls will air each Tuesday, with an extra episode being published this Thursday with Allen Iverson, on the LOL Network YouTube channel.

For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.