Now that Los Angeles is prior to now and his future is about in Philadelphia, Paul George can converse freely about what stored him from remaining a Clippers star. In line with the veteran, he by no means needed to depart from California, however now revealed that the negotiations to increase him had been surprisingly “disrespectful” and laborious to digest.
The ahead signed a four-year, $212 million max free agent contact with the Sixers, however admitted in his personal podcast that he was prepared to stick with his former crew with the identical three-year, $150-million extension they gave Kawhi Leonard.
“I by no means needed to depart L.A.,” George stated on his present. “L.A. is dwelling, that is the place I needed to complete at, and I needed to work as laborious as attainable to win one in L.A. That was the aim, to be right here and be dedicated to L.A. Because it performed out although, the primary preliminary deal was I assumed form of disrespectful.”
Paul George particulars his contract negotiations with the Clippers:
• LA’s first supply was 2 yr / $60M
• He requested for a similar contract as Kawhi through the season
• Requested for 3 yr / $150M with a NTC after the season
• Ultimate ask: 4 years/$220Mpic.twitter.com/JqcSAkDxqX
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Paul even allow us to in on what the Clippers entrance workplace supplied him. “In all of this, no laborious emotions, no love misplaced … it’s a enterprise. So the primary preliminary deal was like two years, 60. So I’m like, whoa, whoa, whoa,” he stated. “That’s loopy! I’m like, ‘Naw, I’m not signing that.’”
Nonetheless, even earlier than the All-Star inked his new take care of the 76ers at the beginning of free company, the L.A. membership stated in an announcement that “the hole was important” in talks to maintain the athlete, as they needed to be conscious of the brand new collective bargaining settlement.
“Heading into this offseason, our roster was constructed [with] three nice gamers 33 and over, two of whom may grow to be free brokers,” the Clippers talked about of negotiating with Leonard, George and James Harden, who lastly did comply with a two-year, $70 million free agent deal to remain in California.
“We needed to retain them on contracts that may permit us, underneath the constraints of the brand new CBA, to proceed constructing the crew. We negotiated for months with Paul and his consultant on a contract that may make sense for either side, and we had been left far aside. The hole was important,” it reads.
The All-Star veteran determined to honor his idol Kobe Bryant by selecting No. 8 jersey in Philadelphia
After seeing Paul George flashing his new 76ers jersey this weekend, we actually can’t inform a lot of a distinction as his former membership makes use of the identical blue-and-red variations. Nonetheless, what we couldn’t hold our eyes off was the truth that the previous Clippers star selected the No. 8 for subsequent season, as a tribute to his idol Kobe Bryant.
Because of this for the primary time since 2015, Paul received’t be carrying his regular quantity 13. This additionally doesn’t imply that the veteran didn’t ask for his conventional jersey quantity, however he discovered it as been retired for a very long time to recollect legendary massive man Wilt Chamberlain.
The 34-year-old then recalled that the “Black Mamba” was born in Philadelphia and began his pre-professional profession at Decrease Merion Excessive Faculty earlier than being picked by the Los Angeles Lakers within the 90s.
As George recalled, Kobe used the No. 8 shirt throughout his first decade in California. “I needed to do it. C’mon man, I’m in Philly.” he stated on his podcast this weekend. “My method of idolizing Kobe.”
