Doubtful of Clippers Fans, Paul George Remains Cautious About LA Return After Ugly Fallout: “Never Heard Them Boo”

In the era of the NBA, the term pantomime villains often remains understated in the NBA. Think of LeBron James when he returned to Cleveland following his exit from the franchise to the Miami Heat. Kevin Durant at the Golden State Warriors got booed everywhere he went. But we may not expect the Los Angeles Clippers fans to turn on Paul George. After spending five seasons with the team, he left for the Philadelphia 76ers in a bid to win a championship. With Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, they have an efficient trio to take home the title.

Thus, George remains excited at the prospect of returning to a place where he created epic moments. The 76ers will visit the Intuit Dome on November 6th, with PG returning to the arena donning a new jersey. Hence, we are all eager about the reaction he will get from the fans. In the latest episode of Podcast P with Paul George, the player expressed his feelings about returning to his old franchise; although he remains unsure about the reception.

“The odds are not on my side,” George said, regarding his return to Clipper Nation. “I don’t know, I don’t know what the reception would be. I don’t know if it will be cheers and I have never really heard them boo people.”

He also pointed out the unbreakable bond with the franchise by discussing, “Well, it will be new feelings in a new arena I am entering. Like there is no ties to this arena. There is ties to the organization and that fan base and people that are still in the front office. People that are still on the coaching staff. People that are in the training room. There’s still going to be a lot of ties there.”

In his five-year stay, George became a 3x All-Star and made it to the NBA 3rd team in 2021. It speaks volumes about the impact he had on the Clippers. Expected to win a title with Kawhi Leonard, the play didn’t work out for Steve Ballmer and Paul George. But, he made memories with the franchise.

Paul George excited to see his ‘homies’ on his return to the Clippers

“As it always is, returning to a familiar place, it is always going to be emotional. You spend so much time with these people and you have really learned and counted them, and looked at them as family. So, it will definitely have some emotional touch to it. And obviously, seeing the homies. Seeing the guys that you played against, you’ve went to battles with. It will be fun on that aspect to compete against those guys,” Paul George expressed, looking to showcase what they miss.

During his time with the franchise, George averaged 23 points and 1.5 steals. However, they couldn’t win a title, with most teams overpowering them in the playoffs. He reached the playoffs three times with the Clippers. Yet, the NBA title eluded him. With the 76ers, they have an even better core with Embiid and Maxey.

Hopefully, we see Paul George getting a standing ovation; and some jeers on his way back to his previous franchise. We can’t wait for ‘The Wall’ to show their influence when he steps on the line. Miss one free throw and they might erupt into joy!