Patrick Beverley made Lonzo Ball's first NBA game miserable, just like he promised

About a month ago, LaVar Ball said a typical LaVar thing about his son Lonzo, and the blogs wrote about it in typical blog fashion, and the Twitters tweeted about it in typical Twitter fashion. Here’s what @NBAonTNT said, for example:

It would have passed by and the world would have kept on turning, if not for an NBA player taking notice, one who plays for a crosstown rival. Here’s what Patrick Beverley had to say about the matter:

Beverley had a point: The Lakers and the Clippers faced each other on Thursday in their respective season openers. And Beverley made good on that promise.

Beverley made Ball’s debut miserable.

Just a few minutes into the game, Beverley forced Ball into a rookie mistake and a turnover with heavy pressure and a foul that caused Ball to commit a backcourt violation on the next play:

Beverley often picks up players full court, and he definitely did it to Ball throughout this game, really bothering him from start to finish:

If that wasn’t enough, Beverley straight up ripped the ball from Ball in the open court:

And this:

Ball finished with just three points and four assists on 1-6 from the field in the Clippers’ 108-92 victory.

And then Beverley shouted about it after the game

And naturally LaVar Ball shouted back because he can’t help himself

From ESPN:

"Yeah, you shut the m-----f----- down," LaVar Ball told ESPN after the game. "And your check still ain't going to go no higher than what it is. Yeah, you shut him down. OK ... Who is Patrick Beverley? He played all last year and nobody said nothing about him. Now we are looking at your first game. Why? Because Lonzo's name is attached to it.

Later, LaVar and Stephen A. Smith hollered at each other on SportsCenter.

This is just what Beverley does

Beverley might be the most tenacious defender in the league and certainly one of the two best defenders at the point guard position — along with departing Clipper Chris Paul. When he says he’s going to get into someone, you know he means that he’s going to do just that.

Ball only made one field goal — a three-pointer — which isn’t a good omen. But this was just one game and this was just about the toughest matchup you could envision from him right off the bat. Beverley is that much of a troll.

Don’t worry, there’s good news! Ball has 78 games ahead of him this season in which he won’t have to play against Beverley.