On Wednesday night, Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George returned to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers, his former team. George left the Clippers this past summer after five seasons, making last night’s game his first matchup against them since his departure. Amidst his return, the 34-year-old was met with a split reaction from Clippers fans. However, after the game, he commented on the boos he received from Clippers fans.
In a postgame interview, George said it was “stupid” for Clippers fans to boo him.
“It is stupid,” George said when asked if he was surprised to hear jeers after playing five seasons in L.A. “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.
George and the 76ers lost to the Clippers 110-98. In the loss, George recorded 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block. Following the loss, the 76ers are now 1-6, tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the worst record in the Eastern Conference.
Paul George Gives Brutal Take About Boos From Clippers Fans
Paul George’s Los Angeles Clippers Career
The debate over whether George should receive boos from Clippers fans is fair. On one hand, he left the team as a free agent, despite Kawhi Leonard signing a three-year contract extension in January with the expectation that George would stay. However, when healthy, George was great for the Clippers. In five seasons, he was a three-time All-Star and a one-time All-NBA Third Team selection. Furthermore, he helped the Clippers reach their first-ever Western Conference Finals in 2021.
As a Clipper, George played and started 263 games. In those games, he averaged 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals. Additionally, he shot 45.5% from the field and 39.7% from the three-point line.
The Last Word
Despite being unhappy about the boos he received from the crowd, George made it clear that he enjoyed his time in Los Angeles. After the game, he emphasized that the Clippers’ front office was “awesome” during his time with the team.
“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 before the Sixers had their morning shootaround at UCLA. “I mean, they were awesome the whole time I was here.
“Kind of the reason why it was such a shocking decision how it played out at the end. But they were awesome. My time here, I think that was kind of refreshing to be alongside and have a partnership like that with a front office. And so I think that was probably the highlight of the whole [time with the Clippers]. Just how great they were in my tenure here.”
George and his 76ers do not have to wait much longer to have a chance to exact their revenge against the Clippers. The two teams will face off once again on November 24 in Philadelphia. By that point, the 76ers should have Joel Embiid back on the court, making this an even more intriguing matchup.
