Despite his rather unceremonious exit, Los Angeles Clippers fans will still miss Paul George. After all, the nine-time All-Star did pour his heart and soul into it throughout his five years with the team.
This is also why it comes as no surprise that his teammates are also sad to see him go.
Los Angeles Clippers News: Ivica Zubac Speaks Out on Paul George’s Departure
George turned down an extension with the Clippers in favor of a more lucrative deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. This came out to $212 million for four years, which is obviously nowhere near the money LA was willing to pay the 34-year-old.
Clippers starting center Ivica Zubac was recently asked to share his thoughts on George’s exit and the 7-foot big man could not help but get a bit emotional in his response:
“That’s a great friend. We played together for 5 seasons. It’s definitely tough seeing him leave,” Zubac said. “He was a big piece. It’s gonna be hard to replicate for us, he did so much, but there’s a business side [to basketball]. Unfortunately, that was the best decision for him, we’re gonna miss him a lot, but we signed some new guys. We got to work with what we have already and I’m sure we’re gonna have a great season.”
Ivica Zubac on Paul George leaving for the Sixers:
“That’s a great friend. We played together for 5 seasons. It’s definitely tough seeing him leave. He was a big piece. It’s gonna be hard to replicate for us, he did so much, but there’s a business side [to basketball].… pic.twitter.com/8wTZOKou73
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) July 2, 2024
Amid all the narratives and the money thrown around in NBA free agency, it’s always easy to overlook the human aspect in all this. George is moving on to greener pastures, but this does not mean that the decision to leave his teammates behind was easy for him.
The same can be said for his now-former teammates, who like George, will now need to move forward in their separate directions.
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