LOS ANGELES – The L.A. Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers are just a week away from the highly-anticipated Christmas Day matchup. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are both expected to be available for the Clippers while LeBron James and Anthony Davis will surely look to exact revenge on their opening night loss. One of the least discussed storylines, however, is the one between George and Lakers coach Frank Vogel, who spent six seasons together from 2010 until 2016.
George's first year in the league was Vogel's first as a head coach following four years as a Pacers' assistant. Under Vogel, George developed into an MVP caliber player and a six-time NBA All-Star. On multiple occasions, the duo looked like NBA Championship contenders in the Eastern Conference only to be thwarted by LeBron James and the Miami Heat three consecutive years.
Considering the history between them, George credits Vogel as one of the reasons he is where he is today.
“He definitely helped with my development by throwing me out there,” George said. “Throwing me into the fire, giving me that experience, letting me learn on the fly, make mistakes. He definitely helped with my development of just film work, watching games, watching plays. The experience is what helped the most by allowing me to play and letting me learn and just being out there.”
Following a few years together with a few years apart, the duo is back in the same city, but doing it for different teams.
“Just being across from him [at Staples Center], it’s great. We both share the city… I look forward to matching up and playing against him, going against him. It’s always fun, I always have fun with it. It’s great, we started together in Indiana and here we are in LA as counterparts.”
George even admits that while he and Vogel don't talk as much nowadays, they've still kept in touch, most recently during the Southern California fires, where Paul says his former coach offered any assistance with housing and support.
“Last time we talked was when the fires and everything was going on, and he reached out, giving support, ‘If you need anything.' If we need a house to stay. He opened the doors for me. But he's got his thing going, and I got mine. I'm sure we'll talk on Christmas. I'll send him a text before Christmas game starts just to wish him a merry Christmas and the family, but you know, I usually talk to him holidays, Father's Day, we'll send messages and stuff like that.
Paul George isn't the only one who developed throughout the years. Vogel got his head coaching start in Indiana with the Pacers, who got as far as the Eastern Conference Finals in back-to-back years. He was one of the final pieces from that East Finals team to be let go following the 2015-16 season, but was immediately hired by the Orlando Magic.
Vogel's rise through the coaching ranks coincided with the change in pace in the NBA's game. In just a few short years, Vogel had to adjust from a traditional frontcourt of David West and Roy Hibbert to using big men who can space the floor like Myles Turner, Nikola Vucevic, and now Anthony Davis.
“I think he learned and he adjusted, found what works and what doesn't,” relayed George. “My whole time, what made it so remarkable and so great with the system that he had was just positive, very positive influence, and it was great. Tough days, long days, tough road trips, he always found the positive and it was great. It was a great flow to the locker room and it translated onto the court.”
Now on opposite sides competing for the same goal in the same city, there's been some banter between the two of them as the season progresses and appears to be headed towards a Clippers-Lakers Western Conference Finals.
“What you would expect. Both of us talked as who is going to run LA and who is going to be the team of LA. So we had some fun with that. “
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