Devin Booker and Paul George have had their fair share of on-court disagreements since the emergence of the Suns as contenders in the 2020 Orlando Bubble. After the Clippers 131-122 win over the Suns tonight, Booker was asked about his competitive rivalry with George, to which he had a simple response.
“I honestly don’t care. It’s just hoops, man. It’s competitive. It’s nothing that lives off the floor, so it’s fine.”
https://twitter.com/geraldbourguet/status/1742605849003163920
Booker and George had an intense playoff matchup in 2021 when the Suns and Clippers met in the Western Conference Finals. The injured Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard and ended up losing the series 4-2 but with plenty of testy moments between Booker and George.
Paul George: “You’re not tough, you better watch your mouth.”
Devin Booker: “Soft a** n****, you don’t go hard. Go hard then. Sit your a** down. F**k out of here.”
LEAKED Audio Of Devin Booker Trash Talking Paul George In 2021👀:
George: “You’re not tough, you better watch your mouth”
Booker: “Soft a** n****, you don’t go hard. Sit your a** down” pic.twitter.com/Jq5g8IM573
— LegendZ (@legendz_prod) January 4, 2024
There have been a series of disagreements between George and Booker which has played out in media interviews and comments. George got the better of Booker tonight, putting up 33 points and seven rebounds in the win despite Booker’s 25-point explosion after a slow start.
George is averaging 22.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists this season on the high-flying Clippers while Booker’s Suns’ are struggling, even with Booker averaging 26.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists.
Devin Booker And Paul George Have Had Multiple Disagreements
The relationship between Booker and George has been frosty since Booker’s trash-talk after hitting a winner over the Clippers during the 2020 Bubble. With the Suns vs. Clippers series in 2021, George addressed the media about Booker’s incessant trash-talk, taking shots at Booker ‘living in the past’, hinting at the 2020 Bubble matchup between the players.
“I don’t talk, I play my game…It’s dudes talking. Never heard people talking [before], it’s never been directed towards me but for some reason, it’s a lot of mouth. It’s fine…I’ll go through the fire… As long as we win. I was talking to the ref, CP jumped in, it escalated. I’ve never had any words, never any altercation, there was always peace when I am on the floor but for whatever reason, there’s a lot of chirping and people living in the past…”
The beef has only escalated in the years since. Booker called out George for trying to ‘bait’ Klay Thompson into talking negatively about Booker on his podcast, something PG responded to by calling it a ‘sorry-ass response’. PG even claims he doesn’t know what changed with Booker for him to take this turn.
“I don’t know where it took the turn… Things got heated when we played Phoenix. Conversations sparked… This goes down to respect… he was the little bro when he came in the league, and then all of a sudden the temperature changed… It is what it is at this point.”
Booker has been accused of being a front-runner, not willing to trash-talk against people that he is inferior to. The 2022 Playoffs taught him that lesson, as he kept talking trash to Luka Doncic when the Suns were in control of the series, just for Doncic to single-handedly shred them in the playoffs and even in their recent Christmas Day matchup.
A possible playoff rematch between the Suns and the Clippers will be amazing, especially since George was hurt for the 2023 matchup which the Suns won with ease because of injuries to the Clippers.
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