Paul George has faced a lot of heat this offseason, whether it be for not performing to expectations in the playoffs or being clowned on for his fiancé getting a ring before he does. More recently, George came under fire for saying that he wants to retire as a Clipper. Fans all around the basketball world have heard that kind of message from him multiple times before he eventual jumped ship.
Paul George has been lying for years 😂 pic.twitter.com/QTtH6Nw2K8
— NBA SKITS (@NBA_Skits) December 5, 2020
Of course, knowing his past led to fans being very skeptical. However, George decided to back those words by signing a maximum contract extension with the Clips. The deal is for 5-years, $226 million.
Breaking: Paul George has signed a maximum contract extension with the Clippers that will guarantee him as much as $226 million over the next five years, his agent Aaron Mintz tells @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/IBeZ1rIJcv
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 10, 2020
This past season, the 30-year old Small forward averaged 21.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. His performance in the playoffs took a drastic dip as he and Kawhi were not enough to fend off the Denver Nuggets. There’s no doubt that the Clippers expect George to rebound with a new coach leading the way.
While George may not have been true to his word in the past, signing this max deal should give hope that things might have changed. It’s no guarantee that he does play out his entire contract or even retires as a Clipper, but I’m sure fans won’t mind if he brings home a title or two over the course of the deal.