This new season has been one notable circumstance after another for the LA Clippers. After opening Intuit Dome to officially tip off a new era of Clippers basketball, the team has undergone some challenging circumstances and learned quite a bit about themselves.
With the departure of Paul George this past offseason, one of the biggest days the Clippers had marked on their calendar since NBA schedule release day was the date PG officially made his return to Los Angeles as a visitor with his new team. The Philadelphia 76ers traveled to Inglewood on Wednesday evening, and the game was everything Clipper nation could have hoped for.
Firstly, the Clippers did opt to give George a tribute video prior to the start of the contest, which was a nice gesture. However, when his name was announced over the loudspeaker, PG appeared to wave off the Clippers fans on The Wall. From that moment on, it felt like the battle was on.
The Sixers entered Wednesday's game with a poor 1-5 record, largely due to Joel Embiid's absence since the start of the season. Philly was already in a compromising position, but the Clippers fans wanted their squad to show no mercy on a night where pride was on the line. Halftime saw a tie game, but the third quarter was where the home team really started to blow things open.
Paul George said he doesn’t understand the boos from Clippers fans.
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) November 7, 2024
“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
George said the boos for him were "stupid"
The Clippers held a 33-17 advantage over the visitors in the third frame, opening up a 16-point lead and eventually winning the game by 12 points. As for Paul George, he played 24 minutes and scored 18 points on an efficient 7-for-9 shooting in just his second game of the season with his new squad. It is actually rather surprising George did not attempt more than nine shots with as well as he was shooting, but Clippers fans will gladly take this result.
As stated, PG got an ovation from the Intuit Dome crowd during his tribute video, but the fans did not keep the same energy during the game. He got plenty of boos, and you can believe it was something he took note of. When asked if the boos bothered him during his postgame interviews, PG had plenty to say.
"I mean, it's stupid," he said. "I was a free agent. It wasn't something that I demanded a trade, or went against the team here. The team presented something that was team friendly, and I did what was best for me in that situation. There were some cheers, I appreciate them. Those were the ones that I played hard for. The boos, I didn't get it, I still don't get it. But it is what it is."
Plenty of Clippers fans will find these comments amusing. As pointed out by fans on social media, Paul made it clear on his podcast that he changed the terms of what he was asking for from the Clippers pertaining to a new extension over the summer. On top of that, he had an awfully rough showing in his last-ever outing as a Clipper, where he posted 18 points on 33% shooting and 20% from three in a must-win playoff game.
A big part of the fanbase felt like George's comments came off as tone-deaf, and did not serve to ease tensions between Clipper nation and their former franchise star. There was already something of a rift between Clippers fans and Paul George, but it seems to have only intensified after this viral postgame moment.