When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Patrick Beverley, fans seemed ready to man their battle stations for a guaranteed civil war with Russell Westbrook.

According to Westbrook, things were never that deep.

"[There was] no process," Westbrook told reporters when asked how his relationship with Beverley shifted from bitter rivals to teammates. "I'm an easygoing guy. I don't hold grudges against anybody—life is too short. We've been blessed with too many opportunities and platforms to walk around and hold grudges. I just continue to move forward. Obviously, when I'm on the court, I don't have any friends other than that basketball and the people that's on my team, so I compete. Other than that, off the floor, I'm just a normal guy that likes to have fun."

Westbrook said he and Beverley have gotten along in the ramp-up to the season, with their competitive mentalities meshing together well on the floor.

That was the polar opposite of how things went when the two were on opposite sides of the floor, with Westbrook and Beverley sharing several back-and-forths for nearly a decade. Their rivalry began when an aggressive Beverley crashed into Westbrook's knee and caused a torn meniscus during the 2013 playoffs.

Beverley maintained his innocence amid some calling it a dirty play, but five years later he again dove to the floor and nearly injured Westbrook's knees.