76ers Star Paul George Gets Critical of Clippers Fans

Paul George felt Clippers fans didn't pack the Dome on Wednesday.

Nov 6, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) moves to the basket against Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) and guard Terance Mann (14) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Prior to Wednesday night, Paul George never had the opportunity to play at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. Before the LA-based franchise made its move away from Crypto.com Arena, George parted ways with the organization, signing on with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.

The nine-time All-Star was expectedly impressed with the brand-new facility. Being that it’s the NBA’s newest dome, with innovative features all over, it has certainly lived up to the hype for fans and players.

George saw it no differently.

“The facility, this thing’s amazing,” George told reporters. “What [Steve] Ballmer did and his vision, and how it came to life, it’s the best arena to play in.”

Nov 4, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) plays for the rebound against Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

As much as George praised the Clippers’ new home, he got slightly critical of the fans who weren’t in attendance.

“I wish it would’ve been a little bit more packed out,” the star forward stated. “I didn’t think it was quite packed for this to be Clippers’ very own.”

Philadelphia 76ers’ Paul George on his return to face LA Clippers at Intuit Dome: “I wish it would have been a little more packed out. I didn’t think it was quite packed for this to be the Clippers’ very own.” pic.twitter.com/LlY0wxKvIS

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) November 7, 2024

Over 15,000 fans attended the Intuit Dome for Clippers-76ers on Wednesday night. With the capacity being 18,000, the game wasn’t quite a sell-out.

Last season, the Clippers ranked just inside of the top ten for attendance per game, with just under 19,000 fans at the arena on average. This season, they’ve taken a large hit. According to Basketball Reference, the Clippers rank 25th in attendance per game through the first four outings.

The loss of an additional All-Star in George might have something to do with that. The absence of Kawhi Leonard could surely have an impact as well. Either way, George has witnessed how strong the Clippers’ base can be in person, and he hopes to see it improve by the time he returns next season.