Lakers Rumors: LA's Free Agency Pitch to Paul George Leaked by SI
The Los Angeles Lakers front office made it a point to avoid charges of tampering this summer.
Leaks, though? Those appear to be fair game.
A free-agent pitch obtained by Sports Illustrated's Robin Lundberg reportedly includes a voiceover pitch obviously aimed at Paul George:
"When you were just a kid
In your room
Dreaming from Palmdale
We were dreaming too.
While you dreamt, we built—built for your arrival
And while we dreamt, you built too
Becoming one of the world's greatest.
Life's most powerful dream are the one we realize ourselves.
The ones that turn us into legends.
That kid from Palmdale always knew it
Now the world will, too"
George grew up in Palmdale, California, which is about an hour outside Los Angeles. He's been open on multiple occasions about the appeal of playing close to home, though he's said that will not be the overarching factor in whatever decision he makes this summer.
The Lakers pitch reads almost like something out of a high school poems journal. Voiceover work never looks particularly good in print—it's usually about setting a mood or a tone, rather than the words themselves. But this is one of those weird situations where the Lakers appear to be going all-in on setting the tone of a LeBron-esque homecoming for George.
It's unclear if the tone will work, or even if the Lakers will use that voiceover in their pitch. The leak could have simply been part of a work-in-progress plan and may be scrapped by the time the two sides sit down. Odds are it will be, now that it's been leaked to the media.
The Lakers famously lost out on LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency three years ago in part because their pitch lacked in basketball foresight. That was a different front office than the one in place now, but this pitch seems to indicate the Lakers are very much invested in selling the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles to George.
