Paul George‘s father, Paul George Sr., didn’t hold back his feelings about how his son’s contract negotiations with the Clippers played out. Appearing on his son’s podcast, ‘Podcast P with Paul George,’ George Sr. said he felt betrayed by his son’s former club.
“I felt like they stabbed us in the back because I thought Paul did a whole lot for the team, as far as the fanbase, the fans was there. He was there,” he said, per Tomer Azerly of Clutch Points. “I think he gave them 110% and what he was asking, it wasn’t a whole lot. But they saw something different.”
The younger George detailed earlier that he felt the Clippers’ initial offer was “disrespectful.” That offer was for two years and $60MM.
“I didn’t want him just to take anything,” George Sr. said. “So his whole thing is, he does stand up for what he believes in. And so he felt that that was a bunch of bull that they came at him with. And I wasn’t gonna sugarcoat it either. Yeah, I’m behind you 100%. If you’ve got to leave, we’re gonna leave.”
We have more on the Los Angeles teams:
- Jonas Valanciunas, who was signed by the Wizards, was one of the free agents reportedly on LeBron James‘ wish list this offseason. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha believes the Lakers could pursue an in-season trade for the veteran big man but would prefer other centers if they’re on the market, he said on a podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype). “There was some interest obviously and he was on LeBron’s list so I think the Lakers will probably revisit that, but I don’t think there’s as much interest as a guy like a Wendell Carter or some of these other guys that have popped up,” Buha said. “So I view it more as like a mid-to-low tier trade target for the Lakers.”
- Speaking of James, he’s not expected to be on Team USA’s roster for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. He claims he could compete for an Olympic medal in other sports, if given enough time to train, he said on ‘The Shop’ podcast (hat tip to BasketNews.com). “If you give me some time, about six months, eight months, or whatever, I think I could do the long jump, maybe, or the high jump,” James said.
- In case you missed it, the Lakers agreed to a training camp deal with Jordan Goodwin. Get the details here.