DID LAKERS TAMPER WITH GEORGE?

The Lakers made no secret about their interest in Paul George, but are they guilty of tampering?

The NBA reportedly has launched an investigation after a formal complaint by the Indiana Pacers that the Los Angeles Lakers were guilty of tampering in their flirtation with Paul George.

Lakers President Magic Johnson, General Manager Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss have been contacted by a league investigator and asked to supply “any correspondence pertaining to” George, his agent and his parents, according to a report from Peter Vecsey on Patreon. The Pacers and the NBA have no comment on the report and, let’s face it, tampering is as much a part of pro sports as inflated ticket prices.

The Lakers, Johnson and George were hardly shy about expressing their mutual admiration. George, who is from the L.A. area, had his agent convey in June that he preferred to play for the Lakers and that he would not return to Indiana when his contract expired after the 2017-18 season. George has often spoken of his friendship with Johnson and, shortly after his intention to leave the Pacers was announced, Johnson tweeted: “God is so good!” On an episode of ESPN’s “The Jump” last week, reporter Brian Windhorst said “the Lakers have all but put up a billboard announcing they want to sign” George.

In a nudge-nudge, wink-wink filled interview with Jimmy Kimmel in April, Johnson acknowledged that he’d like to get George but added that, you know, talking about that would be wrong.

“I had to go to school. I had to go to CBA school, salary cap school and tampering school,” he said with a laugh. “You can’t tamper with somebody else’s player.”

Kimmel pressed Magic, asking what would happen if he ran into George somewhere.

“We gonna say hi because we know each other, you just can’t say, ‘Hey, I want you to come to the Lakers,’ even though I’ll be wink-winking like, ‘You know what that means, right?’”

If he doesn’t, we do. Tampering happens fairly often, especially in a social media age in which team rivalries can become diminished by the chumminess of star athletes. Nothing happened a year ago when Draymond Green helped recruit Kevin Durant from Oklahoma City to Golden State with text messages, that Sports Illustrated reported began after the Warriors’ loss to Cleveland in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Durant was under contract to the Thunder for 12 days while conversations took place.