Paul George: “In Los Angeles, you’re in Lakerland”
Los Angeles has always been the city of the Lakers, and Paul George talks about his first experiences as a player for the Clippers when he arrived in the city
Los Angeles is Lakerland, even though the results show that in recent years, the City of Angels has been dominated by the Clippers. The love for the purple and gold in the city transcends the results, and Paul George has felt it since his first days in Los Angeles.
It’s funny because you feel like you’re in Lakers territory. I remember the first time I was out on the streets of Los Angeles after being traded to the Clippers, someone said to me, “Congratulations, PG, you’re coming to LA! You should be a Laker!
Paul George, via Podcast P
Before being traded from the Thunder in the summer of 2019, Paul George was close to the Lakers, as well as the Cavaliers the previous year: on both occasions, he would have been a teammate of LeBron James, before joining Kawhi Leonard “on the other side” of L.A.
I’ve heard it like 500 times, and to be honest, people still say the same thing when they see me in public
Paul George, via Podcast P
Tonight, the Clippers have a new opportunity to reaffirm their status in the city: a win against the Lakers could definitively secure a direct spot in the playoffs (in addition to a 4-0 record in the regular season series), while a loss would be a real “sentence” to the Play-In Tournament 2023, just three games away from the post-season.