MOVING ON
At his Clippers introduction with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George talked about his trade from the Thunder
Paul George opened his press conference Wednesday by thanking the Thunder. By the end, he was gushing about his new opportunity even as he was faced with the question of player empowerment reshaping the NBA.
The former Thunder forward and Kawhi Leonard were introduced as members of the LA Clip person Wednesday afternoon, the first time George has spoken publicly since his trade from the Thunder. George was officially traded to the Clippers on July 10 in a deal which sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dani lo Gal lin ari, five first-round picks and the rights to two first-round pick swaps to Oklahoma City.
Alongside him on a stage Wednesday in Los Angeles was Leonard, a fellow All-NBA forward who was an instrumental piece in getting George to leave Oklahoma City.
Before George said anything about the Clippers, he thanked the Thunder organization, Thunder chairman Clay Bennett and general manager Sam Presti.
“It was a great two years we had there, but ultimately they helped me find my way back home to L.A. and I'm appreciative for that,” George said.
George found his way home by asking out of Oklahoma City.
For the second time in three years, George requested a trade in the offseason. The first time was in Indiana in 2017, which brought him to Oklahoma City for Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo. The second time came days into July' s free agency period, shifting the Thunder into a rebuild which included trading J era mi Grant to Denver for a first-round pick and Russell Westbrook to Houston for Chris Paul, two first- round picks and the rights to two first-round pick swaps.
When asked about the concept of player empowerment and being able to choose where he wants to play, George went into the dynamics involving the Thunder-Clippers trade. George had just finished Year 1 of a four-year contract with the Thunder.
“I didn' t do no thing that was … I worked hand in hand with the (Thunder) front office,” George said .“We had a great r el ati onship. I played two good years there. It was a mutual thing between both of us that the time was up and we both had ideas of doing things differently.
“I don't think there's nothing wrong with it and I think there should be a mutual and pretty even thing if both parties can be on the same page. At the end of the day, they've got a career as far as the team and the players have a career as well. As long as there's a mutual respect between the both, there shouldn't be nothing wrong with it.”
George in L.A. is surreal. He said so himself. A summer ago, he was party in gin Oklahoma City with West brook after signing a four-year, $137 million deal with the Thunder.
But George in L.A. isn't a surprise. The Palmdale, Calif., native has never been shy about his affinity for Los Angeles. He rooted for the Clippers teams of the early 2000s and grew up emu lating Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
“I' m able to be here full time, be around my nieces and nephews, my kids being around their cousins,” George said.
The Clippers' trajectory was also enticing. The Clippers were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by Golden State, but took the NBA finalists to six games without Tobias Harris, who was traded during the season, and with Gilgeous- Alexander, a rookie, starting at point guard. The Clippers didn't want to give up Gilgeous-Alexander in a trade with the Thunder. On Wednesday, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Gil geous-Alexander is “going to be a special player in this league.”
But George saw greater upside in the Clippers left from last season than the Thunder. Alongside George and Leonard, the Clippers have Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams, Sixth Man of the Year candidate Montrezl Harrell, veteran defensive specialist Patrick Beverley and second-year sharpshooter Landry Shamet.
Then, there' s head coach Doc Rivers, who George highlighted.
“That was the bigge st attraction, with just how hard they play and Coach Doc honestly getting everything out of his players,” George said. “That's such a special gift, when a coach can grab and you can see their connection on the court. Everybody was on the same page, everybody was pulling for one another and everybody elevated their games.
“To be a part of that camaraderie and to be a part of what they already had, then sprinkle in what we have to offer, that's what made it such an attractive spot for me to be in.”