The 34-year-old American professional basketball star Paul George expressed his feelings for the first time since his transfer. “I wanted to stay with the Clippers, but the conditions were not good,” said George, who transferred from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Philadelphia Phillies. 파워볼사이트
George made an appearance on his podcast “Podcast P” on Wednesday and made a frank statement on the process from the time of signing the contract after the FA. George devoted his energy to signing a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers during the offseason, but when it broke down, he moved to Philadelphia. He signed a four-year, 212 million-dollar contract to move to Philadelphia. George, famous for his nickname “PG13,” chose Wilt Chamberlain’s permanent number in Philadelphia, as No. 8. George described it as “Respect for Kobe Bryant.”
George also disclosed the process of negotiations with the Clippers. He said the initial offer was 60 million U.S. dollars for two years. “To tell you the truth, I wanted to stay in LA. It’s my hometown, and I wanted to stay with my (best friend) Kawhi Leonard until the end. I accepted the offer on the same terms as Kawhi, but I didn’t have enough.”
The Los Angeles Clippers explained that it is difficult to give players as many contracts as they want because they have to think about a new labor-management agreement (CBA) amid the limitation of salary cap.
Still, George was optimistic about renewing his contract with the Clippers, and looking at Kawhi Leonard, who signed a three-year contract for $150 million (about 207.6 billion won) at the beginning of the season, he expected to be able to sign at least that much.
George said the Clippers” first offer felt offensive, but there was no bad feeling because they fully understood that the NBA was a business, nor did their affection for the team disappear.
Eventually, he got off to a fresh start in Philadelphia. “At the age of 34, I am still playing at a high level. Even if my athletic ability declines, I believe that I will be able to play more effectively and achieve higher levels of defense,” George said.
George, who is 206 centimeters tall and has mobility and outer guns, is a forward with a lot of talent in the NBA. Small forward is the main position, but he is tall, so he can play power forward without difficulty. The elaborate outer guns are considered the biggest strength. He played in 74 regular league games in the 2023-24 season and averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.
Philadelphia, where big man Joel Embiid and guard Tyreece Maxey are holding out, will have the power to compete with Boston, the winner of 2023-24, for supremacy in the East, with George joining the team.