Beverley says he wanted trade out of Houston to showcase his skills

LA Clippers guard Patrick Beverleytold ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski onThe Woj Podthat he had requested a trade from the Houston Rockets before his inclusion into the Chris Paul blockbuster in June.

"It comes kind of surprising to people that ask, 'Why did they trade you?' I asked for it," Beverley said on the podcast, released on Thursday. "I asked for a bigger opportunity, a bigger chance to display my skills on a high level and I was fortunate that the Rockets did really good with me and [put] me in a situation where I can thrive and be successful. They could have really dumped me anywhere, but they did right, and I respect them a lot for it."

Beverley also said he believes the CP3-James Harden partnership in Houston will work, despite questions about whether the two mesh on the floor.

"If you're not a basketball player, you can easily say, 'It won't work or how it going to work? They both need the ball.' I think it's going to work," Beverley said. "I really do. I think when you get two players who haven't won a championship yet and [are] thirsty to win a championship, you're going to sacrifice. At the end of the day, that's what it's going to take.

"Kevin Durant did it. Klay Thompson did it. Steph Curry's doing it. Draymond Green's doing it. It's all about sacrificing and that's the biggest thing if you want to win championships. Chris Paul's at an age where this has to be done in the next one or two years for him and James is at a place where -- signed an extension, everything's good -- but he will be judged on winning. I think that with those mindsets they will both try to do anything to make it work. I think it'll work."

Beverley also addressed questions about hard work and the Golden State Warriors in the podcast.

On whether Beverley believes enough players in the NBA play hard: "No. I'm going to keep that real simple for you. No. Turn the ball over run back, sprint back, try to get a stop. Sometimes, yeah. Most of the time, no. I just feel like if I turn the ball over or I miss a shot or I fall down or I don't get a call or anything, sprint back, getting back is something natural that just happens with me. Other people, they'll jog up the court and you'll see it throughout the league, but the answer to your question is not everyone plays hard. That's why it is a skill.

"That's why it stands out like, 'Man, I don't know how he does it, but he's getting it done. I don't know how Draymond Green does it. He's not 7-foot, but he's blocking shots.' It's all about a will. My will, I think, is stronger than a lot of people and you can tell by the way Draymond Green plays his will is stronger than a lot of people also."

On how the Golden State Warriors have impacted the NBA's style of play: "The league is changing, of course. Everyone's seeing that. It's going to that European play. Drive, kick, respace. Drive, kick, respace. You've got to be able to shoot the 3, not so much post up. You don't really see Golden State post up at all. [The Rockets] didn't post at all. I don't really think LeBron and Kevin Love, they post a little bit, but they didn't really post at all. Those are the top three teams besides San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. The game is changing. ...

"You look at a player like Draymond Green. Nine, 10 years ago would someone pay him what he's being paid to play on a basketball team? We don't know, but now in today's game every team in the world wants him. That shows you that you don't have to be the biggest, you don't have to be the tallest, you don't have to be the fastest, you don't have to have the best shot, the best handle to be successful.

"Nowadays in the NBA, playing hard is a skill because a lot of players don't play hard. I think that's great for the NBA. That's showing every kid around the world also that you don't have to have all those attributes to play in the NBA."