WESTWOOD, Calif. — As return games go, Paul George expects his Clippers reunion on Wednesday night to be as amicable as they come.
The Sixers star who always envisioned retiring in a Clippers jersey, and who was so surprised and disappointed by the gap in free agency negotiations that led to his departure over the summer, still has nothing but good things to say about his old team. He raved about the front office that is led by Lawrence Frank and shared his affection for owner Steve Ballmer, coach Ty Lue and his former teammates.
George said he remains close with his old Clippers co-star, Kawhi Leonard, and harbors no “ill will” towards the team. As George sees it, everything was “great” about his five years here — except the ending, when the Los Angeles-area native signed a four-year, $212 million deal with the Sixers.
“The narrative wasn’t written correctly, with the relationship with Lawrence, the relationship with Steve Ballmer,” George told reporters at shoot-around inside UCLA’s Wooden Center. “I mean, they were awesome the whole time I was here. It’s kind of the reason why it was such a shocking decision, how it played out at the end (in free agency). But they were awesome.
“I think that was kind of refreshing, to be alongside and have a partnership like that with a front office. And so I think that was probably the highlight, I think, of the whole situation, just how great they were in my tenure here.”
But the same certainly can’t be said for the outcome on the court.
When George and Leonard decided to team up in the summer of 2019, with Leonard coming from Toronto as a free agent and George forcing his way into a trade from Oklahoma City, they were widely expected to be the building blocks of a title contender for years to come. But health problems were a near-constant for both stars, with the Clippers getting out of the first round just twice in five years (West semifinals in 2020, and the West Finals in 2021).
“Being in that (West Finals) series against Phoenix (in 2021), getting the Clippers the furthest that they’ve ever (been), that group was special,” George recalled. “Again, (the rest of his time with the Clippers) was unfortunate. Injuries happen. But I think that run kind of solidified who we could have been, and kind of showed who we could have been when we were healthy. I thought we were a force that year.”
The Clippers missed the playoffs entirely in 2021-22, when Leonard was out for the entire season with an ACL tear in his right knee, before losing in the first round the past two seasons.
When the Clippers gave Leonard a three-year, $152 million extension in January, it was widely expected that a similar deal for George was not far behind. But George’s desire for a four-year commitment, the Clippers’ refusal to grant it and the signing of James Harden to a two-year, $70 million deal this past summer were ultimately the breaking points between George and the team.
“Do I understand?” George said when asked about the Clippers’ choice. “Um, I mean, I understand. …I think people don’t realize business is business. They made a business decision that works for the organization, and that’s fine. I made a business decision that worked for myself and my family. And so, again, there’s no love lost. I still appreciate and love those guys. But, you know, it’s part of the business.”
Besides, George has plenty to worry about at the moment with his current team off to an abysmal and drama-filled 1-5 start. After suffering a knee injury in the preseason, George played for the first time in a loss at Phoenix on Monday. Sixers star Joel Embiid has yet to play because of a left knee situation that has caused all sorts of scrutiny, and his absence was compounded by the locker-room dust-up with a reporter on Saturday that led to a three-game suspension from the league.
For George’s part, he’ll draw on the experiences in reunion games in Oklahoma City and Indiana when he faces these Clippers, make it known that there’s no bad blood between the two sides and get back to the Sixers’ turnaround task at hand.
“Every year was special,” George said. “Every year was great. Steve was awesome. T-Lue was awesome. Lawrence was awesome. Then the guys that I played with here were awesome. So, you know, I’ll always have love here. Obviously, this is home, but this organization is first class, and I was just appreciative to be a part of it.”
(Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
