Since Paul George officially departed from Los Angeles less than a month ago, LA Clippers fans have had mixed emotions. Of course, it was difficult seeing one of their franchise's cornerstones from the last five seasons skip town and leave for greener pastures. George undeniably created lasting memories for fans by helping the team stay in the hunt for a championship year in and year out.
But on the flip side, PG certainly had his moments of struggle as well. There were times where Clippers fans could not help but express their frustration at George for one reason or another. One recurring instance of this was when the talented wing would go on his podcast and say something that was perhaps a little tone-deaf unprompted.
And it appears those days are not totally over for Clippers fans either, as we were recently treated to another viral sound bite from Paul George on Tuesday when a new episode of Podcast P with Paul George was released. It did not even take three minutes for PG to say something that will likely rattle Clippers fans just a bit.
Paul George said playing for the Clippers felt like playing for the "B Team"
Along with Mikal Bridges who recently became a New York Knick, PG discussed the biggest differences between his new city and what it was like being in Los Angeles before. "I think initially, coming back to LA, that was home when I first came back," said George. "But it's not the same love... Because when I was in LA, they were like, 'man, you should've been a Laker,' that's all I was hearing."
Clippers fans are just as aware as anyone that the Lakers are the bigger brand name in the city. That much is not a secret to anyone. But the next part of George's statement is what is most likely to ruffle some feathers. "It wasn't no 'welcome to the Clippers,'" said Paul. "'We're happy you're in LA, but you should've been a Laker.' I'm on the B-Team. That's how the vibe and the love felt."
Paul George clearly really has a knack for saying the quiet part out loud, whether that is a good thing or not. Not many Clippers fans would doubt the notion that George felt like he was playing for the less-recognized franchise while living in LA, but it is another thing entirely to go on a podcast and express that publicly.
At the end of the day, PG is simply describing his experiences, but it is hard to say this particular segment will not bother a large contingency of Clippers fans. It also feels like this will be far from the last time George details a part of his experience playing for the Clippers that fans simply do not vibe with.