On Paul George's respectful, irreverent return to Clipperdom – Orange County Register

INGLEWOOD – Thank you for everything, “Paul You Suck.”

Wednesday was a strange night at the Intuit Dome. Strangely fitting.

In a slightly anticipated return, Paul George returned to face the Clippers for the first time since signing a four-year, $212 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. George's old team won 110-98 and improved to 4-4, while his new team fell to 1-6, including 0-2 in the games he played.

He was booed and cheered.

He got a high-five and a speech.

It was sincere. It was choreographed.

Thank you for everything. Thanks for nothing.

At a game that was broadcast on ESPN but was attended by fewer than 16,000 people, George received a 50-second tribute video. (It included footage of him dressing up as Waldo for Halloween, that ill-advised costume that became a meme – “Where's Paul, Doe?” – applicable every time he failed to show up in big moments: e.g., in last season's first round playoff exit, where he scored 33 points in a good game but otherwise shot 36% and averaged just 16.8 points, was the Clippers' first option in the others five Playing against Dallas – and then immediately demanded a maximum contract or a no-trade clause to prevent him from taking his talents elsewhere, obviously the Clippers wisely didn't give in.)

He became annoyed: “PG, talk less. Play More!” once read a sign in which the people stationed on the much-touted wall were all holding up signs that were, an educated guess here, intended to mock George’s comments on his podcast.

He told an episode of “Podcast P” last summer what Angelenos would say to him during his time with the Clippers: “It wasn't no, like, 'Oh, welcome to the Clippers.'” (It was) 'You are in LA, but you should have been a Laker'… (but) I'm on the B team.”

He said after the game that he didn't see the signs, but the Clippers seemed to approve of those messages because they posted them on their mumbo-jumbo 360 degree Halo boardperhaps to create an enemy home-field advantage, or because they really think George should shut up: “PG THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK.”

But it’s all good, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer told ESPN: “Very good person. I like him a lot, except when they play us.”

After the game, in which George scored 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting in 24 minutes, the Palmdale native reiterated his previous positive comments about the Clippers when asked about the tribute video: “That organization was top notch …and.”It was much appreciated.”

And then there was the mixed reaction from fans, which seemed to half surprise him, even if he had invited it, saying on his podcast released on Monday: “I've never really heard them boo people. “

He has it now. “I mean, you know, it was stupid,” he said, “I was a free agent, it wasn't about demanding a trade or going against the team.” … I did the best thing for myself in that situation.

“And,” he emphasized, “there were some cheers. I appreciate her.”

And what about his old team's flashy new $2 billion home?

“It was great, it was great,” George said. “I wish it had been more crowded. I didn’t think it was completely full.”

Passive aggressive P-deer.

Nice Intuit Dome you have here; It's a shame it's not sold out yet.

In every sense of the word, the Clippers were purely aggressive on Wednesday, double-teaming George in his second game back after he suffered a bone bruise in his right knee.

He added seven rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block, but Norman Powell — who claimed George's departure would be addition by subtraction for such and such Clippers — outdid him: 26 points on 8 of 10 shooting.

And so George couldn't slow the spiral for a Sixers team that currently doesn't look like the contender many expected when Philly added George alongside star Joel Embiid (who was serving the second game of a three-game suspension against the Lakers will serve). on Friday) and Tyrese Maxey (who was injured on Wednesday).

The Clippers were also expected to be contenders when George arrived from Oklahoma City in 2018, the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade that paired him with free-agent signee Kawhi Leonard.

But when George left last summer, it was after five unfulfilling, unhappy seasons: Great first appearance you had in the Western Conference finals; It's a shame you couldn't win this championship.

Now it's in the eyes of the beholder whether fans remember George's beautiful moments or the ones where he disappeared.

“He was a great Clipper, to be honest,” said Alejandro Sanchez, who wore a George's Clippers jersey No. 13 at Wednesday's game and George – who now wears No. 8 in honor of Lakers star Kobe Bryant – the palms clapped left the field at halftime.

“He was part of a Clippers team that took us to a place we've never been before, and I respect that,” Sanchez said. “I have to applaud that.”

Or boo, like Joel Caro intended.