Watch: Paul George seemed strained as Clippers star celebrated birthday in Dallas sharing restaurant with Mavericks players
Nine-time NBA All-Star Paul George celebrated his birthday in a Dallas restaurant as the LA Clippers are in town to face the Mavericks for Game 6 of their series. In a now-expired Instagram story, George's wife Daniela posted a short clip of him being sung to in a restaurant for his birthday.
While the story has already expired, it was reposted by a Clippers fan who pointed out that George didn't even look happy on his birthday. Afterward, the fan claimed that George would dominate the Mavs in the next two games to lead his team to the Conference Semifinals.
Watch the IG story featuring Paul George here.
Another account noticed a minuscule detail which makes George's seemingly strained reaction on his birthday even funnier. Fans noticed that Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II was in the background, eating in the same restaurant as Paul George.
The Clippers are facing elimination with the Mavs being up 3-2. Should they lose in the first round this year, it will mark their second straight opening-round exit.
The LA Clippers have never won an NBA title, let alone make a Finals appearance. The furthest they went was the Conference Finals back in Tyronn Lue's first year as head coach in 2021. They also made several Conference Semifinals and first-round exits during the Doc Rivers era, who preceded Tyronn Lue.
Also read: "I don't feel that pressure anymore": Paul George makes odd revelation ahead of Game 6 elimination vs. Mavs
A couple of teams are reportedly interested in Paul George
Should the Clippers fail to make a deep Playoff run this season, Paul George can potentially opt out of the final year of his contract due to his player option.
In the event that this happens, there are reportedly two teams who are interested in adding the veteran wingman to their squad. Those two teams are the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers, as reported by Ramona Shelburne on the "Brian Windhorst and The Hoop Collective" podcast.
According to Shelburne, these two teams have the cap space as well as a need for a guy like George.
The Orlando Magic finished the season with a 47-35 record and are the fifth-seeded team in the East. They are currently trailing 3-2 in their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Magic have a promising future with their young core led by Paolo Banchero but could use a veteran like George who has plenty of Playoff experience.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers were just eliminated by the New York Knicks in the first round in six games. With Tobias Harris already in the final year of his contract, the Sixers will have enough cap space to acquire a third All-Star caliber player.
In doing so, they can find a key piece to pair with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey who can help them make a deeper playoff run next season and the first guy on their minds is Paul George.