If it were up to the newest addition of the Philadelphia 76ers, he never would’ve been in position to leave the Los Angeles Clippers, the team for which he had been playing.
Speaking during an episode of his “Podcast P with Paul George” show that aired Monday, Paul George detailed the chronology of contract negotiations with the Clippers, before he opted out of his deal to become a free agent and eventually signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
George, 34, added that he and his representatives first started discussing a contract in October 2023 with Los Angeles, where he had played the past five seasons. He said it took a couple of months after the first offer for the team to come up to an offer that would pay him an average of around $44 million.
“Just to put it out there, I never wanted to leave L.A.,” George, a nine-time All-Star, said during the episode. “L.A. is home. This is where I wanted to finish at, and I wanted to work as hard as possible to win one in L.A. That was the goal: to be here and be committed to L.A. As it played out, though, the first initial (offer) was, I thought, kind of disrespectful. In all of this, no hard feelings.
“So the first initial deal was like two years, 60 (million). So I’m like, whoa, whoa, whoa. That’s crazy. I’m like, ‘Nah, I’m not signing that.'”
Paul George and Reggie Jackson share an incredibly special bond both on and off the court. From being teammates on the Clippers, the two have reunited on the Philadelphia 76ers and George couldn’t be happier.
During the newest episode of Podcast P by Wave Sports, Paul George reacted to the Philadelphia 76ers signing his longtime friend Reggie Jackson.
“Reggie is someone that I am familiar and comfortable with, and so to have him there definitely helps,” George said. “It’s a new situation, again, for both of us. He has played people that he’s played with there, so it’s a comfortable thing across the board for him as well. He’s someone in Clippers history, he was a part of that team that went the furthest that it’s gone. He was very much a part of history that I’ve made as well.”
Clippers on SI has seen firsthand just how close Paul George and Reggie Jackson have been throughout the years. Even when Jackson was a member of the Denver Nuggets, the two would routinely go out to eat dinner together after their teams faced off. Even if it was a bad loss, the two would remain together and their bond was unshakeable.
“We have an amazing bond off the court, on the court, we had an amazing chemistry and knew how to win together,” George said. “I’m excited to have Reg back, he’s a lifelong friend, he’s a real brother. I’m excited to have the bud back.”
If there’s one thing Paul George was notorious for on the Clippers, it was taking care of his friends. Now, as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, he’s made sure to take care of them yet again.