In one of the most shocking moves of the summer, Paul George was traded from the Indiana Pacers to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
As he is getting ready to settle into his new home, he admitted that a controversial player told him that he should be extremely excited about being a new member of the organization.
“KD was like, ‘That place will blow you away,’” George told Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated. “He told me, ‘They can offer what other teams can’t in terms of the people and the preparation and the facility, down to the chefs and the meals.’ He was pretty high on them. He thought it was a first-class organization in every way."
Kevin Durant praised OKC, despite facing all of the backlash that he received after he made the tough decision to leave, joining the Golden State Warriors.
The Finals MVP even said positive things about the city dating back to last year, when he was facing most of his criticism by scorned Thunder fans.
“I think of myself as a small-town kid,” Durant told Jenkins last year. “I liked the small-town vibe. But it was a ghost town. … Now I look at that building and it’s a beacon, reminding me what we came from. … It’s a big, diverse city that’s grown with the team.”
George explained how he sympathized with Durant, who chose to leave the franchise in the hopes of creating an easier path at capturing a ring.
“There’s no right way to handle it,” George explained. “I get the frustration. I get why people are upset. But at the same time, I want the average fan to understand that we only get a small window to play this game and more than anything you want to be able to play for a championship.”
He also made sure to point out that he wanted to remain with the Pacers next season, despite the rumors that he had his mind set on joining the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I wanted to bring that to Indiana. I really did. I love Indiana. That will always be a special place for me and I’m sorry for not holding on. But I wasn’t sure we’d ever get a team together to compete for a championship and that’s where all this came from," he said.
In regards to the L.A. rumors, he noted, “That’s a dream come true, if you’re a kid growing up on the outskirts of L.A., to be the man in your city. But it’s definitely been overstated. For me, it’s all about winning. I want to be in a good system, a good team. I want a shot to win it.”
While he and Westbrook will make up a formidable duo, they will likely need some more help if they’re looking to contend in a stacked Western Conference.
It remains to be seen if Durant’s positive comments of Oklahoma City to George will ease the harsh comments that Thunder fans have had for the superstar since he decided to leave. The next time he takes the court at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, we will all find out together.