Over two years ago, Paul George left the LA Clippers in free agency to sign a four-year max deal with the Sixers, more than he would've gotten had he stayed put. It wasn't an ideal ending, especially given what the team gave up to get him in 2019, but it wasn't some bad breakup, either. So hearing the forward say on his first media day with the Celtics that he wishes he had been in Boston sooner shouldn't be taken as a slight, since he said it wasn't.
“I wish I was here a lot sooner. Not to discredit anywhere I've been, but since I've been here, it's just been nothing but happiness… I'm happy to be in green.”
The Celtics are widely regarded as one of the best-run, if not the best-run, organizations in the NBA, and it sounds like being in Boston has been like taking a breath of fresh air for George.
It's not that he's facing the same pressure he did in Philadelphia or Los Angeles; he's in Boston because of the controversial Jaylen Brown trade. That will hang over him as long as he's with the Celtics (just like the Clippers' trade for him did), who want to try to win another title with Jayson Tatum.
George wishes he had gotten to Celtics sooner
Though he didn't live up to expectations with the Clippers, fans shouldn't feel some type of way about his raving about Boston.
As an organization, the Clippers aren't on the same level as the Celtics, and they never have been. As of this summer, they've fallen even further behind Boston in those rankings, maybe even to the very bottom, depending on who you're asking and whether they think LA or Sacramento is worse.
George, who is 36, is still searching for his first championship. While Boston isn't the juggernaut it was a few seasons ago, it would be unwise to rule out the Celtics, especially if Tatum looks more like his old self after spending most of last season recovering from a ruptured Achilles. And, of course, if PG can stay healthy, which he struggled to do in Philly and LA.
Things didn't go as planned for him with the Clippers. You may still resent George for that, but LA traded for him in the first place because of Kawhi, who also seems happy to be with his new team. A big reason for that could be that he escaped serious punishment with the Clippers by paying only a $700,000 fine, which doesn't match the millions he pocketed.
So, yeah, if George wants to talk about how he wishes it didn't take him this long to end up in Boston, who cares? Now, if Kawhi said he wished he had been in Toronto a lot sooner, that'd be a whole different story.
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