Sixers’ George sulked on return to LA, calls reaction ‘stupid’

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — In his first game against the LA Clippers at the Intuit Dome, Paul George received a video tribute, but he also heard plenty of boos all night from The Wall at the new arena.

Before an announced crowd of 15,627, George made 7-of-9 shots and had 18 points, seven rebounds and three steals, but his old team routed the Philadelphia 76ers 110-98.

George said he appreciated the video tribute and called the Clippers franchise “first class.” He said his return drew a fair and divided reaction, but he didn’t understand or care about the arcs after helping the Clippers reach their only Western Conference Finals appearance in 2021.

“It’s stupid,” George said when asked if he was surprised to hear the jeers after playing five seasons in LA. 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.

“So there were the cheers. I appreciate them. They were the ones 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 being back here next year and more boos.

After five seasons playing for the Clippers, George signed a four-year, max $212 million contract as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers last summer. George said he would remain a Clipper. But he wanted a no-trade clause to go with a three-year, $150 million extension or a four-year max deal, and the Clippers declined to do either.

After George left, some of the Clippers’ fan base were irritated by comments he made on his podcast, “Podcast P with Paul George,” when he described returning to his hometown of Los Angeles to join the Clippers as being on the “B team” because so many Lakers fans would tell him he should have joined the Lakers.

Some fans in The Wall, a section where the most ardent Clippers fans line up behind the basket near the opponent’s bench, brought signs referencing George’s podcast. Several fans held up signs that read “PG THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK.”

George, playing in just his second game after suffering a bone bruise in his left knee late in the preseason, said he didn’t see many of the signs.

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure they’re all probably subscribers,” George said, referring to his podcast. “So it’s a win-win. It’s two wins against The Wall, I guess.”

During the first half, when the Sixers had to shoot at the basket by The Wall, George made both of his free throw attempts and said that The Wall will have to do a better job next time. In the season-opening overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns, Clippers fans on The Wall successfully distracted Kevin Durant enough that he missed a pair of free throws.

George said Wednesday morning that he held no grudge against the Clippers organization for not re-signing him. He cited his “fantastic” relationship with team owner Steve Ballmer and Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations.

“I think it’s been a little bit misunderstood 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 great the whole time I was here.

“Kind of the reason it was such a shocking decision was how it turned out in the end. But they were great. My time here, I think it was kind of refreshing to be around and have that kind of partnership with a front office. And then I think that was probably the highlight of it all (the time with the Clippers) How good they were during my tenure here.”

Frank told ESPN he was willing to give the Kawhi Leonard-George tandem another three years by extending George to the same three-year, $150 million deal he gave Leonard in January. But the team would not give George a no-trade clause with that deal or give a four-year maximum deal, citing roster flexibility, age and the new collective bargaining agreement’s second berth, which penalizes luxury-tax-paying teams like the Clippers.

Outside of the boos, George said he felt lots of love from old friends on his former team and many family and friends in the building. He spent time with former teammates like James Harden before the game and didn’t leave the court for a good 15 minutes afterward, catching up with teammates like Ivica Zubac and hugging his parents, Clippers staff and friends courtside.

“There’s no bad blood,” George said when asked how there are sometimes grudges when a star leaves a franchise. “I talked to those guys throughout the process. James was informed of what I was doing. Kawhi was informed of what I was doing. Russ (Westbrook) was informed of what I was doing. I talked to all those guys so there was no bad blood.

“At the end of the day, whether we’re teammates or not, it’s a lifelong bond that you build, and whatever happens in basketball doesn’t affect that relationship.”

George said he thought the Intuit Dome was every bit as spectacular as advertised, but just missing one thing — more Clippers fans.

“It was great,” he said of the Clippers’ new home. “I wish it would have been a little more packed out. I didn’t think it was close, so this was going to be the Clippers’ own.

“But the facility, this thing is amazing. What Ballmer did and his vision and how it came to life — it’s the best arena to play in.”