- Clippers star gets real on his first night after big trade
- George admits he partied in Las Vegas with his brand-new teammates
- George says joining the Clippers “hit different” compared to other teams
It took almost a decade for Paul George to find his way to Los Angeles, but he’s made the most of it since his arrival in 2019. At the time of the trade, George had just finished his second season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he was quick to abandon his post when the opportunity arrived to join forces with Kawhi Leonard in Southern California. That night, as he recently explained on his podcast, he threw a party with his new teammates, Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley, to celebrate the moment.
“I was in Las Vegas at the time and it was during the big earthquake that happened in Vegas. I like to say I had something to do with that earthquake, with that trade going down, said George. “I had to celebrate. I bought cigars for everybody. I went really hard that night. I think Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley were in Vegas at the time too… I was a childhood Clippers fan, so it just hit different.”
PG & Steve Ballmer's first day as Clippers hit different 😅 pic.twitter.com/YRk4ozYoSI
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) September 13, 2023
Paul George knew what was happening before the deal was done. That summer, Kawhi Leonard specifically asked to team with Paul George as part of his deal to sign with the Clippers. So, it’s likely that George and Kawhi had been talking for weeks leading up to the big trade, which resulted in George being sent to Los Angeles for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a haul of future draft picks.
Nevertheless, Paul George got what he wanted in the end: a ticket home. As a self-proclaimed Clippers fan growing up, George idolized the franchise and he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join.
Paul George’s Childhood Fandom Has Been A Subject Of Great Debate
George has claimed allegiance to the Clippers for years now, which makes sense because that’s the team he’s repping now. But some fans might remember that George once had connections to the Lakers and even claimed Kobe Bryant was his personal basketball “GOAT.”
After joining the Clippers, many fans claimed that George was actually a Lakers fan before he switched sides. Only George himself ultimately knows where his head was all those years ago, but you can’t blame him for embracing his role with the Clippers.
Despite the lack of playoff success, George has enjoyed some of the best years of his career in Los Angeles and he could be in store for even better things in the seasons to come.
The Clippers Are All-In On Winning A Championship
Riddled with a dark and depressing history, the Clippers franchise is desperately in need of a major win. So far, the furthest they’ve ever gotten was in 2021, when Paul George led the Clips to the West Finals for a showdown against the Suns. Fast forward to today, and the Clippers are mostly the same team as before, except a few years older.
With brand new challengers in the conference, the path to victory is anything but assured and the Clippers still have a lot to prove before anyone can take them seriously in the race for the title. But with Kawhi and Paul George, the Clippers have as good a chance as any team to make a run that matters.
While the team has come up empty so far, it is not yet too late for Paul George to pull off something special here in the twilight of his career.
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