For most of their history, the Los Angeles Clippers haven’t been a prime destination for free agents.
The team has usually lived in the shadows of the Los Angeles Lakers, and it wasn’t until recent years that they became perennial contenders.
With Paul George leaving, they’re no longer one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference.
Even so, when he was healthy – which was way more often than when Kawhi Leonard was healthy – he was one of the best two-way players in the game.
That’s why it was odd to hear plenty of Clippers fans booing him in his first game against his former team.
When asked about that, George didn’t mince his words and called those fans “stupid,” but he also shared his love for those who cheered for him (via Joey Linn):
“I mean it’s stupid. I was a free agent. It wasn’t something that I demanded a trade or went against the team,” said George. “There were cheers. I appreciate them. Those were the ones I played hard for. The boos, I didn’t get it.”
Paul George said he doesn’t understand the boos from Clippers fans.
“I mean it’s stupid. I was a free agent. It wasn’t something that I demanded a trade or went against the team… There were cheers. I appreciate them. Those were the ones I played hard for. The boos, I didn’t… pic.twitter.com/rAVRQvZASw
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) November 7, 2024
Truth be told, there’s no reason why Clippers fans had to boo him.
The front office decided not to give him the money he wanted, so he left for another team willing to meet his asking price.
Also, with Leonard constantly getting hurt, it became painfully evident that he had to leave the team if he wanted to play for an NBA championship.
George didn’t disrespect the organization or the fans, and even though he shared some inside scoops of how things went down in his podcast, there’s no reason to boo him.
At least the fans who attended the game got to watch their Clippers beat him.
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