"He still like that" - Russell Westbrook agrees with Paul George calling Deonte Burton the 'Zion before Zion' comments
Paul George recently put his former teammate Deonte Burton in the spotlight by comparing him to Zion Williamson. Burton played in three seasons in the league before heading out overseas. Russell Westbrook seemingly agreed with George's assessment of their ex-OKC Thunder teammate.
On a recent episode of "Podcast P with Paul George," the LA Clippers forward gave a shoutout to the Iowa State product for being "Zion before Zion." They had similar build and similar game although he was not given an opportunity to shine in Oklahoma City.
"I used to see him in practice and I would see him like, his G-League games, or D-League, I don't know what it was at the time. He was like Zion before Zion. Like he had that physique, more muscular, though. Jump out the gym, strong as an ox, and will lock your a** up," George said.
He added:
"That's just how the NBA is. You don't get a chance, you kinda a**ed out, you know what I mean? It's hard to get into this game. If you don't get a chance to get into this game, people just won't see how good you are."
Russell Westbrook, who also played with Deonte Burton in Oklahoma City, seemingly agreed and gave his stamp of approval to Paul George's comments. Westbrook replied to a post on Instagram by confirming how similar Burton was with Zion Williamson.
"Facts. He still like that," Westbrook wrote.
Burton and Williamson are both lefties and have similar body types. Burton is indeed leaner than Williamson, but they are both athletic and can explode at the rim. The New Orleans Pelicans might have more bounce and explosiveness, but he's also been prone to injuries.
Paul George linked to multiple teams heading into free agency
Paul George has a $48.8 million player option for next season. If he opts out of the contract, he will become a free agent and can sign with any team he wants. But it seems like George wants to opt into his deal and force a trade away from the LA Clippers.
NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that the Clippers are not willing to meet George's contract demands. "PG13" has already been linked to several teams this offseason such as the Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets among others.
George might be 34 years old already, but he's still among the best two-way players in the NBA. The Clippers wouldn't want to lose him for free since they need all the star power they can get for their first season in their new homecourt, the Intuit Dome.