Lakers forward Michael Beasley disputes reported incident with coach Luke Walton
Los Angeles Lakers forward Michael Beasley released a statement to Yahoo Sports on Tuesday that disputes the reported postgame incident he allegedly had with head coach Luke Walton after Saturday night’s loss to the Golden State Warriors.
It was reported by several outlets that Beasley engaged in a verbal confrontation with Walton about playing unselfishly and that the exchange fell just short of a physical altercation.
Beasley, in addressing the situation for the first time, denies it was such a heated incident.
“This past Saturday after the Warriors game, Coach Walton and our team had a conversation after a tough loss. Despite reports to the contrary, there was nothing physical between Coach Walton, me, or any other teammate,” Beasley said. “I’ve sat back in the past when stories have been twisted and misreported, but I won’t do that this time. I respect Luke and I respect this team. We are trying to win a championship together.”
It was also reported that center JaVale McGee was involved in a combative verbal exchange directed at Walton, but McGee told Yahoo Sports that was “fake news.”
The Lakers are 27-26 and 1.5 games back of the eighth and final playoff seed in the Western Conference standings.
The Indiana Pacers host the Lakers tonight.
With Thursday’s trade deadline approaching, it’s safe to say that multiple Lakers players are on edge.
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