Now that Paul George has become a part of the Philadelphia 76ers, videos of the promises he made during his time as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers have gained quite a lot of attraction on social media. To those who might not know, PG had been with the LA Clippers for almost half a decade.
Reports revealed that both sides were unable to reach a middle ground during contract negotiations. Since the Philadelphia 76ers had salary space, they went all in and offered Paul George a 4-year contract worth $212 million.
This offer was good enough for George to change teams. Although this should be considered a part of league business, fans undoubtedly feel differently about Paul George leaving the Clippers.
Paul George committed to helping the Los Angeles Clippers win an NBA title in 2020
Veteran NBA fans will remember when Paul George joined the Los Angeles Clippers. It was immediately after the team acquired Kawhi Leonard following the 2019 NBA championship. Although George and Leonard were considered an elite two-way wing combo, things never took off for the Clippers as they always ended up getting eliminated from postseason contention.
The Clippers lost to the Denver Nuggets in 2020 and blew a 3-1 lead in the process. While this should have been disheartening, Paul George was committed to helping the Clippers win an NBA championship at the time.
“I owe them a trophy. That’s what I owe this organization. This is a window that we’re trying to capture. My commitment and my job is to bring a title here.”
– Paul George on the Clippers (2020)
(h/t @TomerAzarly )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 1, 2024
“I owe them a trophy. That’s what I owe this organization. This is a window that we’re trying to capture. My commitment and my job is to bring a title here.”
Since it has been half a decade since Paul George made these statements, it is safe to say that this decision indicates that the ‘championship window’ has closed. Given that the Eastern Conference is proving to be increasingly competitive, it will be no easier for George to win an NBA championship while playing alongside Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Fans compare Paul George shifting teams to LeBron James
After hearing about Paul George’s decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers, compilations regarding all the promises of loyalty that he had publicly made to teams in the past emerged. PG had played for the Pacers and OKC Thunder before joining the Clippers. This makes the 76ers the 4th team he has been a part of in his career. Some fans even accused Paul George of lying and compared him to LeBron James.
He’s a habitual liar, worse than Kyrie but he finna catch less flack than him pic.twitter.com/LHSDG9g29M
— ᴅ ʀ ᴇ ᴡ (@FeelLikeDrew) July 1, 2024
Nigga is on his LeBron capping tour
— Premium_17 (@KiddKwayo) June 29, 2024
Unlike LeBron, PG has yet to win an NBA championship with any of the teams he has played in. Given that he is 34 years old and clearly approaching the backend of his career, these next few seasons with Joel Embiid and the 76ers will decide how he will be remembered.