Published 15:10 IST, November 21st 2019
Paul George reveals ironical 2017 near miss of joining Kawhi Leonard at Spurs
Clippers star Paul George has recently revealed that the thought of pairing up with Kawhi Leonard made him consider a move to San Antonio Spurs in 2017.
Paul George has hit the ground running in recent weeks after making his debut for the LA Clippers. The former Oklahoma City Thunder star made the move to LA in July earlier this year when OKC Thunder traded George to the Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari. However, George has now revealed that the San Antonio Spurs were his first choice in 2017 when he requested a trade from the Indiana Pacers. The reason? Paul George wanted to team up with his current teammate Kawhi Leonard, who played for the Spurs till 2018.
NBA: Paul George reveals Spurs ambition
In an interview with ESPN, Paul George's Spurs ambitions were revealed. Kawhi Leonard is reported to have demanded Paul George's acquisition at the Clippers this season. However, it now appears that George first had the idea of teaming up with Leonard two years ago. The Clippers' decision to pair the two was met with widespread excitement from the Clippers fans. However, they were made to wait for 14 games before they could see both George and Leonard take to the court together. The duo finally featured during the Clippers' win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday.
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NBA: Paul George, Kawhi Leonard pair up for the first time
The Clippers played out a 107-104 overtime thriller against the Eastern Conference leaders Boston Celtics as Paul George and Kawhi Leonard played in tandem for the first time this season. Facing a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter, Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley came to the fore for the Clippers. The Clippers had to grind out a win against a Boston Celtics side renowned for their defence, but the win against the Celtics showed that the Clippers are much more than just the Paul George-Kawhi Leonard pairing. Kawhi Leonard looked a little rusty as he made his return after missing the Clippers' last three games with a knee injury.
Updated 16:36 IST, November 21st 2019