On Wednesday evening, the Oklahoma City Thunder finally introduced All-Star forward Paul George as the newest member of the organization.
During the introductory press conference, George provided insight on his initial reaction to being traded away from the Indiana Pacers to the Oklahoma City Thunder:
Paul George on his reaction to the trade: pic.twitter.com/W1IO7Ejux9
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) July 13, 2017
“This team wasn't one of the teams that we had in mind. I thought I was going to four or five other teams. When I found out it was OKC, I was quite surprised but at the same time, I was happy about the trade. I was thrilled and looking forward to it. All I want is a chance to play with something special and to ultimately win a championship. Right off the bat, I think I can get that here playing alongside Russ.
“We have had a lot of time to talk. Right after the trade, I called him that night and we talked and went over the excitement of playing alongside one another.”
This paints a much clearer picture of how things transpired throughout the entire process. The Pacers had fielded plenty of offers for George but decided to accept what the Thunder presented to them, which even came to the surprise of the 27-year-old.
It puts George in an interesting spot, playing alongside the reigning league MVP Russell Westbrook with a chance to quickly become one of the top teams in the Western Conference. His response displays a quick realization of the vast importance that there will be on him building a strong bond with Westbrook on and off the court in order to make their combination work next season.
There is potential for this to develop into the special situation that George has been eyeing over the last several months that could offer him his best chance to win.
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