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Paul George Makes Honest James Harden Statement After Clippers-76ers

Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George played his first game at Intuit Dome.

Joey Linn

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) during the first half at Intuit Dome.
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) during the first half at Intuit Dome. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George faced the LA Clippers at Intuit Dome for the first time on Wednesday night. Leaving the Clippers in free agency this offseason, George joined Philadelphia on a four-year, $212M contract.

Because of how his tenure played out in Los Angeles, and some of the comments he made on his Podcast P show after departing, it was not surprising when George was booed by Clippers fans on Wednesday night.

As for George himself, he didn’t quite understand it.

“I mean it’s stupid,” George said. “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 get it.”

While George didn’t understand the reception he received from Clippers fans, he was well-received by his former teammates. This includes star guard James Harden.

Asked about this after the game, George said, “Ain’t no bad blood. I talked to those guys throughout the whole process. James [Harden] was informed with what I was doing, Kawhi [Leonard] was informed with what I was doing, [Russell Westbrook] was informed with what I was doing… At the end of the day, regardless if we’re teammates or not, those are lifelong bonds that you build. Whatever happens in basketball doesn’t affect that relationship.”

While he took a jab at the light Clippers crowd, George praised Intuit Dome and said he is looking forward to returning next season.

“It was great," George said of the new arena. "I wish it would have been a little bit more packed out. I didn’t think it was quite packed for this to be Clippers’ very own.”

The official attendance for George’s return game was 15,627 but there were certainly a lot of empty seats as The Wall attempted to start chants directed at George.

"I won the wall," George said with a laugh. "Two for two. So they gotta get a little bit better."

While George mostly played well, tallying 18 points on 7/9 shooting, the Clippers secured a 110-98 victory.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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