A lot of players in the NBA don't want to play in their hometown because of all the distractions that come with it. None of that applied to Paul George, who requested a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder so he could play with Kawhi Leonard on the Los Angeles Clippers.
Clippers head coach Doc Rivers is very impressed that George wanted to come home and “dive into the distractions.” The former NBA guard says he would have never wanted to play for his hometown team during his career, the Chicago Bulls:
“Like, I love Chicago,” Rivers says of his hometown, via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “But I have no interest in playing there. No way — all the people, the ticket requests.”
But Paul George prefers it this way.
“[He] actually wanted to come home and to dive into the distractions instead of running away from them,” Rivers says.
George's mom almost died of a stroke when he was just six years old and she was 36. Fortunately, George's mom was able to get through her battle and now she's doing much better, especially since her son is back home in Los Angeles playing for the Clippers.
Being close to his mom is one of the main reasons George wanted to come back home to LA and play for the Clippers.
In 26 games this season for the Clippers, George is averaging 23.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He’s shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from beyond the arc and 90.9 percent from the free-throw line.
The Clippers are 28-13 on the season. They are in fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
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