Childhood Lakers fan Paul George claims winning title with Clippers would mean more than with Lakers

If basketball never worked out for him, Paul George probably could have made a hell of a politician. Few people in the NBA have pandered like Paul George — whether in Indiana or Oklahoma or, now, in California and Los Angeles.

To be clear, PG is entitled to whatever opinion he wants. There are no sour grapes on this side of the hallway. The Lakers wanted PG, he wanted something else, and the purple and gold found success without him.

But, man, it’s hard not to laugh from afar.

George was the subject of a recent GQ Sports piece by Joseph Bien-Kahn where he revealed something that was the source of the latest eye roll.

“A championship with the Clippers 100% will outweigh a championship being with the Lakers,” he says. He tells me bringing the first chip to “this part of LA” would be legacy-defining.

Oh brother.

Let's reminisce a little bit. Remember how Paul George grew up a Lakers fan? He has claimed he grew up a Clippers AND Lakers/Kobe Bryant fan. Sure. Ok. He also picked his all-time starting and included three Lakers in it, including a current Laker.

What about the time he was openly telling NBA teams he wanted to be a Laker. The exact term was that he was “hell-bent” on wearing purple and gold. The Lakers tried to trade for him but didn’t want to give up the farm (sound familiar?), and so they waited until free agency.

The fans courted him when he visited Staples Center. He did a whole documentary on his decision. Everything pointed to George being a Laker alongside LeBron James. It was written in the stars, the So Cal kid returning home to the team he grew up watching.

He literally said it in his documentary! Watch the first 40 seconds of this video and tell me this man grew up a Clippers fan and a Lakers fan.

Now he wants us to believe that he grew up picturing himself in a Lakers jersey but it’ll mean more to win a title with the Clippers? I’m not going to sit here and psychoanalyze PG’s mind. His priorities might have changed.

But there’s a long, long list of receipts of him badly wanting to be a Laker throughout his life and career. I’m not buying a Clippers title somehow now meaning more.

Fortunately, we’re never going to get an answer!

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.