Paul George wanted to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, but being around Russell Westbrook last year made him change his mind.
When Paul George was a still a member of the Indiana Pacers, he made it clear to the organization that he planned to leave Indiana in free agency and join his hometown Los Angeles Lakers. In order to get something in return for George, the Pacers traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder with one year remaining on his contract.
Since George expressed a strong desire to play in Los Angeles, many NBA fans assumed that it would be one-and-done for George in Oklahoma City. But one year later, things have changed. George, who averaged 21.9 points last year, didn’t even arrange a meeting with Magic Johnson and the Lakers, and instead signed a four-year, $137 million contract with the Thunder.
In the 2018 NBA playoffs, George’s Thunder were upset in the first round by a young Utah Jazz team. So what exactly happened over the last year that caused George to have a change of heart?
According to George, a big part of it was his teammate, and longtime Thunder point guard, Russell Westbrook. The irony of the situation is that when Kevin Durant bolted from Oklahoma City in 2016 to join up with the Golden State Warriors, who were coming off a 73-win season, it was widely assumed that Westbrook was a factor in his decision. Durant and Westbrook, teammates for eight years in Oklahoma City, never seemed to have an ideal on-court relationship with each other.
According to USA Today, while George was answering questions about his free agency decision at Team USA minicamp on Thursday, Westbrook shouted at him from mid-court, “Tell them the truth. Tell them I’m a bad teammate. That’s what they want to hear.”
While Durant and Westbrook weren’t able to fully co-exist, it’s a different scenario for George. He appreciates Westbrook for who he is, and that was one of the reasons he wanted to remain with the Thunder and keep playing alongside arguably the NBA’s best point guard.
“It wasn’t even about him going beyond and being extra (with his efforts),” George said, according to the same USA Today article. Adding:
"It was about him being himself, him being genuine, him being authentic, him being real. Nothing about him is fake, and that’s the people I want to be around, somebody who’s going to tell it like it is, somebody who’s going to push you, somebody who’s going to encourage you, somebody who’s going to motivate you, and vice versa.It felt like a really strong and great relationship being around him."
George went on to say that he loves his current situation in Oklahoma City, and the reason that he didn’t take the time to meet with the Lakers was because he felt it would be a waste of time. He already knew what he wanted.
“This year, being in Oklahoma, I felt really good about the situation,” he said. “I felt really good going forward.”
Back in 2012, Westbrook and Durant came awfully close to winning an NBA championship together, but they were toppled in the Finals by LeBron James and the Miami Heat. During their remaining four years together, they never came that close again.
But now Westbrook, a seven-time All-Star, has a new teammate in George, a five-time All-Star, who truly wants to be a member of the Thunder, and truly wants to play alongside him. Together, they just might be able to help Oklahoma City make another run at the NBA Finals.