Paul George Talks 'Brotherhood' with Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony
Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George has a player option on his contract for the 2018-19 season and can become a free agent, but he is apparently enjoying playing alongside Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony.
He talked about the "brotherhood" he has developed with the two playmakers during an interview with ESPN's Rachel Nichols:
Ryne Nelson of Slam passed along the notable quote where George—who is from the Los Angeles area—discussed potentially playing for the Lakers before praising his experience in Oklahoma City:
“I obviously would have loved to have gone home. That was ideal when it was that time. But now, being here and playing alongside Russ, playing alongside Melo, I’ve built a real brotherhood with those guys. If we’re here right now, then where can we be next year? Where can we be the year after that?”
This isn't the first time this season George has made head-turning comments about Westbrook.
Royce Young of ESPN.com noted George said in an interview with Nichols in January it was "awesome" Westbrook took such umbrage with George being left off the initial All-Star team (he has since been included as an injury replacement).
"Russ is the reason why this decision is becoming even more easier to make, is the character Russ [has]," George continued, via Young. "A stand-up guy, and he has his teammate's back."
The latest positive comments come at a notable time considering the Thunder have lost four games in a row, including Sunday's contest against the Lakers, dropping them to 30-24 and just 1.5 games ahead of the eighth-seeded Denver Nuggets. Oklahoma City is still the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, but less than three games separate it from being outside the playoff picture.
George isn't the first option like he was during his tenure with the Indiana Pacers, but he is still averaging 21.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. What's more, the defensive attention the other scorers draw has opened up perimeter looks for George, and he is shooting a career-best 42.3 percent from three-point range.
The Lakers need a building block as they attempt to turn the franchise's fortunes around, and George seems to qualify as a three-time member of the All-NBA team and a three-time All-Defensive team selection.
However, it doesn't seem like a sure thing he will eventually return home this offseason given his professed fondness for playing with Westbrook and Anthony.
