George upbeat over latest Thunder move
Sunset is a few hours away in this gated neighborhood 20 minutes north of downtown, and resident fisherman Paul George is angling for his second trip of the day.
All around him there’s nonstop debate about his basketball future, about the Oklahoma City Thunder and whether they’ll be able to set the hook on this would-be Laker next summer. And the 27-year-old George, a four-time All-Star and gold medalist who came via trade from the Indiana Pacers on June 30, is more worried about whether the Cinderella-themed pole that belongs to his 3-year-old daughter, Olivia, is properly strung.
Just hours before on a sleepy Saturday morning, about the time George and Olivia were working their way around the lakes, the Thunder pulled off a blockbuster trade by landing 10time All-Star Carmelo Anthony and surely upped their odds of retaining George and fellow costar/Southern California native Russell Westbrook. Yet in the George household, a three-story beauty where poles and tackle are strewn about the living room, George is too focused on fishing to worry about free agency just yet.
“I love it, man; I love it,” George says with a smile of his second-favorite pastime. “I’ve already got a couple places mapped out as far as lakes and ponds, and now I carry a fishing pole in the back of my car. … There’s just so many bodies of water out here that I can explore and fish in, that I’ll be happy. I’ll be content. That’s what brings joy to me.”
The Thunder, whose pivot from the loss of a superstar has been as impressive as the league has ever seen, can only hope George is still biting when July rolls around.
As free agency story lines go, George’s has the kind of nuanced context that makes it hard to gauge where it will go. A few months ago, George, through his agent, informed the Indiana Pacers that he had decided not to resign this upcoming offseason and his hometown Lakers were widely known to be atop his list of preferred destinations. Then came the trade to the Thunder and a chance for George to contend.
In the months that followed, George and Westbrook grew close, and the fit seemed even more tailor-made. And as George made clear during a lengthy visit with USA TODAY Sports, the chance to contend is the only factor that matters.
“Honestly, I’m happy,” he said. “The only thing I wanted out of Indiana was a chance to win my whole career there. ... That’s really what I want out of this, out of the league. I’m not looking for money. I’m not looking for stats. I want to win, and (to) be able to win at a high level.
“It’s Year One, and (the Thunder have) proven — and I haven’t even gone through a season yet — and they’ve already proven everything on my check list (that) I can check off. That’s what feels good. That’s what makes me feel like, ‘Hey, this can be a landing spot for me and somewhere I can call home for years.’ ”
There are questions that he can’t answer, such as whether Westbrook will sign the five-year, $207 million extension he has been offered before the Oct. 16 deadline. Anthony, a 10-time AllStar who waived his no-trade clause, has two seasons remaining on his deal and an early-termination option that could allow him to also be a free agent next summer. Other stars, including LeBron James, widely believed to be seriously pondering playing for the Lakers, could play a role, too. But for George’s part — the only part he can control — he’s ecstatic in Oklahoma City.
He’s a big believer in Anthony, the 33-year-old with whom he won gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He sees a kindred spirit in Westbrook, the reigning MVP, whose triple-double average last season helped etch his name in the history books.
“I’m not going into this situation thinking, you know, Year One, or this year, playing with Russ and now playing with Melo, we’re going to win the championship,” George said. “I’m thinking we have a chance to win a championship. We’re going to have to fight for it, but I like the guys I’m going to battle with. I like how this is setting up. So again, it goes back to ultimately just having a chance to do it.”
The Lakers possibility still looms large, too. George, who returned to his MVP-caliber ways after the gruesome leg break suffered in the summer of 2014, grew up an hour north of Los Angeles and has always dreamed of wearing the purple and gold. Just last month, the Lakers were fined $500,000 by the NBA for tampering when premature free agency communication between George’s agent, Aaron Mintz, and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was discovered.
But if idolizing Kobe Bryant taught George anything, it’s that winning it all is the only thing that matters.
“Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely,” George said when asked if winning was above the Lakers on his list of priorities. “Winning takes precedence over all of it. That’s the ultimate happiness. It’s not location. It’s not stardom. It’s not ‘ where can I make the most money.’ It’s winning, and winning championships.
“That’s ultimately what, as a kid, I looked at as the best fit and the biggest thing. I haven’t won on any level, besides the (2016) Olympics (in Rio). I haven’t won a championship in high school. I haven’t won a championship in college (at Fresno State). I don’t know what that feels like.”
Translation: Lakers be darned, the Thunder have a real shot of reeling this one in.
“You ask anybody, and who wouldn’t want to play for their hometown team?” George explained. “Who wouldn’t want to go home and win a championship for their home? So yeah, a lot of me wanted to be a Laker. Even in the draft, coming out of the draft, I wanted to be a Clipper, to have a chance to play at home. … (But) I’m not solely tied to L.A.
“This feels like a championship team. Like I said, man, I’m in a good place. I know Russ is in a good place. ’Melo is motivated more than ever. I think he was, what, top 65 or something (in ESPN’s player rankings). I know he’s motivated more than ever. You put us three together, who all have something to prove still, we’re going to be a special team.”