Regrets? Malik Beasley has a few, particularly regarding his brief stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. The veteran sharpshooter, who remains a subject of a gambling investigation, recently made a difficult admission about his time with the organization. He is taking accountability and shining light on some of the obstacles he was facing amid what was ultimately a disappointing tenure in LA.
“I wished I played better with the Lakers, I was going through a lot of mental s*** during that time,” Beasley told prominent content creator N3on, via HoopsHype. “All the outside noise, like your regular life outside of basketball. Like for me, I didn’t know where to live. So, I lived in Beverly Hills, but it was like 40 minutes away from the arena and 40 minutes away from the practice facility. So, you had to pick which one either you wanted to live close to the arena or close to the practice facility.
“You go to Utah, it’s everything right in the same gym. So, it was just like, that part and then obviously public issues with my teammates and other stuff like that… So that was tough and then my own issues at home with my girl, well, my ex {Montana Yao}. So it just wasn’t the best mental situation.”
Malik Beasley bounced back after rough Lakers showing
Beasley averaged 11.1 points on inefficient 39.2 percent shooting from the field and 35.3 percent shooting from 3-point range in 26 regular season games for the Lakers in 2023. He struggled to make the midseason adjustment after being traded from the Utah Jazz and then cratered in the playoffs, posting a ghastly 29.4 field goal percentage through 11 contests.
Malik Beasley got his game back in the ensuing years, however. He fared well on the Milwaukee Bucks and then enjoyed a full-blown resurgence with the Detroit Pistons during the 2024-25 campaign. The 2016 first-round draft pick shot a scorching-hot 41.6 percent from 3-point land, finishing second in Sixth Man of the Year voting and breathing new life into a previously moribund franchise.
His numbers significantly declined in the playoffs but Beasley was still set to sign a three-year, $42 million contract with the Pistons before facing allegations of improper gambling on NBA games and prop bets. Although he maintains his innocence and is eager to return to the league, the situation remains without a firm resolution. Last season, Beasley played for Puerto Rico’s Cangrejeros de Santurce, which is owned by mega star Bad Bunny.
While he waits for good news regarding the investigation, the 29-year-old appears to be doing much-needed reflection on his quick stay in LA and the personal turmoil he was experiencing at the time. Hopefully, Lakers fans got the closure they were looking for as well.
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