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During the offseason, one of the players who was consistently included in a lot of trade chatter was Paul George. After he informed the Indiana Pacers that he plans to become a free agent after this season, the team quickly began trade talks with other teams to ensure that they got some players in return instead of allowing him to walk, and leaving them empty handed.
They caused quite a stir when they pulled the trigger on the deal that sent him to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who did not emerge as a favorite to land his services. Now playing for his new team, George talked about his decision to leave Indiana, and also sent a message to his fans there, via Clifton Brown of the Indy Star.
“First and foremost, I want to give thanks to Indiana as a state, for embracing me and my family for seven years of being there,” said George. “I learned so much being there. They taught me so much.”
“Obviously, I’m human. Things could have been done a lot better. The process, that whole ordeal could have been done a lot better. I’ll share some of that responsibility. But at the end of the day, I did what was best for myself, what was best for my family. I had to move on. It was the right decision for myself. I’m happy. I’m happy with what the results were.”
George’s comments only go to show that he still respects the fans in Indianapolis, who cheered him on and helped him become the player that he is now. He has not forgotten how he was embraced during his playing days with the Pacers, and is something he will bring with him throughout his NBA career.
Playing alongside two other stars now with the Thunder in Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, George is already adjusting to not being the first option on offense always. He is proving that he can co-exist with both of them on the floor, and is still producing elite numbers of 21.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.3 steals through three games. If he can keep this pace and compliment the games of Westbrook and Anthony, the Thunder will be able to live up to expectations, as they are considered a serious contender in the Western Conference.
