NBA

Sixers’ Paul George sends strong message to Indiana Pacers for snubbing him since his departure

Paul George had a standout seven-year career with the Indiana Pacers before moving on to other NBA franchises. Now, as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, he’s speaking out about the lack of recognition he’s received from his former team since his departure.

Paul George LA Clippers looks on after a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 27, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
© Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty ImagesPaul George LA Clippers looks on after a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 27, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Paul George joined the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, but his performances have been inconsistent thus far. However, the spotlight shifted to him when the Sixers faced the Indiana Pacers on January 18. Although George was unable to play, his return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse was marred by the lack of a tribute from his old NBA team.

“I’m not sure, you know?” George said in an interview with Sixers Wire when asked to explain the absence of any acknowledgment from the Pacers. The game ended in a 115-102 loss for the Sixers, and while Paul’s injury kept him off the court, Indiana didn’t prepare anything special to honor his past contributions.

“We were joking with the guys, and they were like, you know, ‘Do you still get a tribute video when you go to Indiana?’ I was like ‘I’ve never gotten a tribute video since I’ve been going back to Indiana’ and that was eight years ago,” George explained, emphasizing that his former team had never given him the recognition he felt he deserved.

Advertisement

“You know, it sucks,” George continued. “I think the way things played out still holds a grudge to them and they don’t realize the great runs we had in the time I was there.”

Paul George of the Indiana Pacers celebrates during the 108-90 win over the Toronto Raptors on April 4, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Paul George of the Indiana Pacers celebrates during the 108-90 win over the Toronto Raptors on April 4, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Advertisement

Paul George’s impact with the Pacers

George was a central figure in revitalizing the Pacers after a down period following Reggie Miller‘s retirement. He helped lead the team to two consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances in 2013 and 2014, despite falling short against the Miami Heat both times. In 2013, he was even named the NBA’s Most Improved Player.

However, in 2017, George demanded a trade to a team with a better chance of contending for an NBA title, ultimately joining the Oklahoma City Thunder. His departure left a lasting mark on the Pacers organization.

Advertisement

George explains his departure from Indiana

In a 2020 interview on the Knuckleheads podcast, George detailed what led to his decision to leave Indiana. “I had, at the time, the best power forward saying he wanted to come to Indy and team up with me,” he recalled without naming names, though it’s widely assumed he was referring to Anthony Davis, then with the New Orleans Pelicans.

George pushed the Pacers’ front office to make a move for Davis, but the response he received was underwhelming. “’We’re a mid-major. We’re a small market. We can’t do it. We’re a small market. We can’t afford it.’ And I’m like, ‘The best power forward wants to come play here. Can’t you guys make it work?’ They didn’t want to do it,he explained.

Advertisement

That response left George frustrated. “So, I’m like – now, I’m pissed. Because it’s like, what am I doing here, you know what I mean? They don’t want to win,” he recalled. “After that call, I was like, ‘They don’t get it.’ I called my agent like, ‘Man, get me out of here. They don’t want to win.’

George’s tension with former teams

Paul George’s relationship with former teams seems to be a recurring theme. This season, after leaving the Los Angeles Clippers to join the 76ers, he faced similar reception when the Sixers played the Clippers in California.

Advertisement
Sixers' Paul George issues strong message about former Clippers teammate Kawhi Leonard

see also

“There were cheers; those are the ones I played for. There were boos; I didn’t get it,”George said, sending a clear message to the Clippers fans who booed him during his return.

ALSO READ

Joe Burrow could lose a key Bengals teammate to an AFC team in rebuild
NFL

Joe Burrow could lose a key Bengals teammate to an AFC team in rebuild

He won the French Open, was compared to Nadal, and gave one of the most unusual excuses for doping
Tennis

He won the French Open, was compared to Nadal, and gave one of the most unusual excuses for doping

Neymar Jr. gets real about what he needs to reach full form with Santos
Soccer

Neymar Jr. gets real about what he needs to reach full form with Santos

Eagles’ Jalen Hurts compares the feeling of losing a Super Bowl to winning it: ‘No comparison to the pain of losing it.’
NFL

Eagles’ Jalen Hurts compares the feeling of losing a Super Bowl to winning it: ‘No comparison to the pain of losing it.’

Better Collective Logo