Report: Paul George's Perks Irked Some Clippers Due to Lack of Accomplishments

Some members of the Los Angeles Clippers took issue with the special treatment given to Paul George during his first season with the team. 

Per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, multiple league sources said some of George's teammates shared "a sentiment... of, 'What have you accomplished in the playoffs?'" 

The Clippers were the toast of the NBA last offseason when they acquired George in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder and signed Kawhi Leonard in free agency. 

Buha noted that Leonard's preferential treatment was met with a "level of acceptance" in Los Angeles because he was coming off winning NBA Finals MVP and leading the Toronto Raptors to a championship. 

According to Buha, the treatement George and Leonard received included having personals security guards and trainers, power over the Clippers' practice and travel schedule and not having to speak to the media until at least 45 minutes after games which "resulted in their teammates speaking with the media first, and for longer, essentially becoming the public voices of the team."

George's playoff struggles have been an ongoing discussion throughout his career. His teams haven't advanced past the second round since the Indiana Pacers reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2014. Last season marked the first time in his last five playoff appearances his team didn't lose in the first round. 

The Clippers' second-round playoff loss to the Utah Jazz was particularly bad for George. The six-time All-Star scored 10 points in two of the final four games, including the Game 7 defeat in which he shot 4-of-16 from the field and had five turnovers with two assists.

At his best, George has proven he can be one of the best players in the NBA. He's just one season removed from finishing third in MVP voting, but there have been just as many valleys throughout his career as there have been peaks. 

In his first season with the Clippers, George averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 48 games. The 30-year-old shot a career-high 41.2 percent from three-point range.