When Paul George returned to the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason it shocked a lot of people. Most believed that he would go to Los Angeles to play with the Lakers. When he did decide to go back to to the Thunder some assumed that Russell Westbrook must have done a great job recruiting him to come back.
According to George, that wasn't the case and it was actually the lack of recruiting that helped sell him to come back and sign his extension.
“It wasn’t even about him going beyond and being extra (with his efforts),” said Paul George, via USA Today. “It was about him being himself, him being genuine, him being authentic, him being real. Nothing about him is fake, and that’s the people I want to be around, somebody who’s going to tell it like it is, somebody who’s going to push you, somebody who’s going to encourage you, somebody who’s going to motivate you, and vice versa.
“That’s how I am. It just felt genuine. It felt like a really strong and great relationship being around him. It didn’t take him to recruit me. It didn’t take him asking me to be here, asking me to be a part of the team going forward. None of that ever came up.”
George also said before last season that he didn't have much of a relationship with Russell Westbrook. Before teaming up the two would give handshakes after a game like a lot of stars do. It was never anything more than a quick hi or bye and the two were on their separate ways again.
Last year the two quickly meshed and it was one of the key reasons that George stayed, even if Westbrook didn't have to do any recruiting.
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