Justin Cooper

December 4, 2018

 

***DISCLAIMER***

It was not the intention of Sound of Thunder to run articles on Patrick Beverley on two consecutive days.  He left us no choice…

 

Russell Westbrook is quite the trendsetter.  He’s garnered a lot of attention over the years for his often quirky yet stylish fashion choices and has almost singlehandedly transformed pregame player arrivals into fashion week runway shows leaguewide.  This season, Russ has introduced us to a bit more of his signature swagger, only this time on the court in the form of the demoralizing “Rock-the-Baby” gesture directed toward smaller point guards who fall short in their efforts to stymie his relentless offensive attack.  Predictably, other players have found the dispiriting statement a fitting punctuation to their own respective scoring finishes, with Klay Thompson almost immediately getting into the action after the move was unveiled.  It even transcended the boundary of sport as Iowa State receiver Hakeem Butler broke out the “Rock-the-Baby” after snatching a touchdown from a smaller corner.

It’s been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery but, as with nearly every rule, there are exceptions.  Patrick Beverley (who is on leave from his fleet of Somali pirates and is currently playing basketball for the Los Angeles Clippers) illustrated this perfectly on Monday night against the New Orleans Pelicans as he drove to the rim, finished at the basket, and proceeded to “Rock-the-Baby” as he trotted back down the court.  Certainly, Patrick Beverley’s “Rock-the-Baby” was not intended to flatter, but was more likely intended to further fuel the ongoing feud between himself and Westbrook.  Check out Patrick Beverley’s “Rock-the-Baby” remix below.

Strictly from a style perspective, Beverley’s “Rock-the-Baby” was rough, almost convulsive in nature, not nearly as confidently smooth and soul crushing as the original artist intended the gesture to be.  The play that preceded it was certainly not one that warranted theft of the Brodie’s signature move for nefarious ends.  To be fair, Beverley does register some troll points for the move, as there is no secret as to what his intention truly was; however, the irony here is that the very first “Baby” Russ rocked to sleep this year was Patrick Beverley.  Whether he likes it or not, he is indelibly linked to the move, and not as the executor, but as the diminutive point guard that served as inspiration for its inception, thus rendering Beverley’s use of Westbrook’s “Rock-the-Baby” quite lame.

For his part, Patrick Beverley is not doing anything to quell the feud he started with Westbrook nearly 6 years ago.  Perhaps Russ will surprise us with fresh new ways with which to demoralize Patrick Beverley when the Clippers visit the Thunder on December 15.