"I'll publicly say, I'm the 2, Kawhi's the 1...There is no ego when it comes to that" - Paul George clarifies who lead the Clippers, says he believes his talent will make teammates better
Paul George is letting everyone know there is no power struggle between him and Kawhi Leonard for the alpha role in the LA Clippers. George understands the importance of his role despite being the second option in coach Ty Lue’s grand scheme of things.
Here's what George had to say about the dynamics between him and the two-time NBA Finals MVP:
“Yeah, look at the [Miami Heat] wing-wing D-Wade (Wade) and LeBron [James]. … Listen, Kawhi is the No. 1. And I am totally fine with that. I think I try to complement him with being able to take the load off of him.
“Everybody says, ‘Kawhi [and] you are 1 and 1, [or] 1A, 1B.’ I’ll publicly say, I’m the 2. Kawhi’s the 1, I’m the 2. So that part we nipped in the bud. Like there’s no ego when it comes to that.”
"Kawhi is the No. 1. I'm the 2. There's no ego when it comes to that. With that being said, I believe in my talent and what I can do."
Paul George on the return of a healthy Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers 👀 https://t.co/zhOYbaDAXN
In the summer of 2010, LeBron James made the decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to take his talents to South Beach. The Miami Heat at the time already had a franchise player in Dwyane Wade. He had already won the team a championship in 2006.
Miami struggled early until Wade decided to give James the reins of the franchise. It took a lot of sacrifice from Wade, but it paid off in the long run. The “Heatles” went to four straight NBA Finals, winning two of them.
Paul George did his best Wade impression with his latest statement concerning his relationship with Kawhi Leonard.
Last season, without Leonard for the entire season, George proved that he was more than capable of leading the team. His early numbers greatly resembled those from 2019 when he was an MVP finalist in his last season with the OKC Thunder.
Who is the No.1 and who is the No.2 has never been an issue with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. The biggest knack concerning the two has been their inability to stay healthy.
Kawhi Leonard says it's easier for him and Paul George to regain continuity because they have a genuine relationship https://t.co/fUs50pk9Ag
In three seasons with the Clippers, Leonard has played only 109 games. George, in three seasons, has played in only 133 games. The NBA is still waiting for the duo to be healthy for an entire season.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George partnership has ways to go before coming close to the LeBron James-Dwyane Wade combo
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be entering their fourth season with the LA Clippers. The farthest they reached was the 2021 Western Conference Finals. They lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games despite getting elite production from George.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, in their fourth season with the Miami Heat, were already back-to-back champions.
If healthy, Leonard and George could break through and give the LA Clippers their first title. Former player and current analyst Kendrick Perkins already has the Clippers as the favorites to win the title this season:
"The Los Angeles Clippers are my favorites to win it all."
LA Clippers favorites to reach NBA Finals?
@KendrickPerkins says “Hell yeah!”
“The Los Angeles Clippers are my favorites to win it all,” he shared on @BallySports.
“They’re stacked at the most important positions in the NBA!” https://t.co/lnDaSf9FJj
Both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George still have three more years on their respective deals with the Clippers. The James and Wade comparisons will only make sense if they can start bringing hardware for Steve Ballmer’s franchise.