Even though Paul George received a tribute video during his first matchup against the Clippers, the 15,627-people crowd at the Intuit Dome was heard booing their former star many times throughout the night. Even though the All-Star said he holds no grudges against the L.A. team, he did explain why the boos made no sense.
The veteran guard, who made 7-of-9 shots and had 18 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals, wasn’t able to avoid Philadelphia’s 110-98 defeat. After the fame he gave a split reaction to the press, first calling the tribute video to be “first class,” but had a hard time accepting the fact that he’d been booed by the fans who praised him for years.
“It is stupid,” he responded when asked if he was surprised about what he heard. “I mean, I was a free agent, you know what I mean? It wasn’t something that I demanded a trade or went against the team here. I was a free agent. The team presented something that was team friendly, and I did what was best for me in that situation.”
Vince Carter can relate to Paul George getting booed by Clippers fans
“I’ve been booed.” – @mrvincecarter15
“That’s why I’m coming to you, you’re the expert.” – @MichelleDBeadle 😂
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— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 8, 2024
He then added: “So there were the cheers. I appreciate them. Those were the ones that I played hard for. The boos, I didn’t get it. I still don’t get it when I go [back] to Indy, but it is what it is. It’s sports. I look forward to next year being back here and more boos.”
Nevertheless, the new 76ers recruit insisted that he held no grudges against his former team’s organization, despite his best intention to reach an extension agreement in Los Angeles this summer.
According to the Sixers star, his relationship with owner Steve Ballmer was always good, but insisted that he was surprised he wasn’t able to remain in a Clippers jersey as his intention was to stay there. He ended up signing a four-year, $212 million contract in free agency in Philadelphia.
The nine-time All-Star wanted to clear the air. “I think it got kind of misconstrued or [the] narrative kind of wasn’t written correctly with the relationship with Lawrence [Frank], the relationship with Steve Ballmer,” George said the morning before the game. “I mean, they were awesome the whole time I was here.”
Steve Ballmer even went on to say that he would have loved for Paul to stay put in L.A. but team had other priorities to manage first
Before the contest vs. Philly, owner Steve Ballmer addressed one of the biggest stories of the night, with former player Paul George heading back to Los Angeles to play against his old team for the first time. According to the executive, he always wanted the All-Star to stay, but believes the club ended up making the best move.
“We were able to get three guys who are tough, hard-playing guys,” Ballmer told the press after a busy summer signing Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn and Nico Batum. “And we still have the ability to consistently make ourselves better. So, it was the right choice for us. Paul obviously thought it was the right choice for him. I’ll miss him.”
On the other side, the new 76ers recruit said he understands the basketball business and respect his former employers. This is why the veteran guard avoided falling into controversy over the fact that he wasn’t able to extend his contract with the Clippers, as he remains grateful for the years together.
The club prepared a video tribute for him before Wednesday night’s game at the Intuit Dome, as Paul joined the franchise in Los Angeles to try and conquer a championship in his hometown. George contributed to the Clippers reaching their only-ever Western Conference Finals appearance in 2021.
