Paul George on Legacy with Clippers After New Contract: ‘I Owe Them a Trophy’

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

After one season, Paul George was convinced he wanted to be a member of the Los Angeles Clippers for the rest of his career, and he provided some insight into what he hopes to accomplish with the team in the future. 

“I owe them a trophy,” he said Thursday, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “That’s what I owe this organization.” 

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the 30-year-old inked a four-year, $190 million extension that kicks in after he earns $35.4 million this upcoming year. 

George was traded to the Clippers from the Oklahoma City Thunder in July 2019, but the Clippers basically gutted the organization to do so, dealing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and the rights to trade two other first-round selections. 

In doing so, they also convinced Kawhi Leonard to sign with the team in free agency, as George revealed. Together, the pair led the Clippers past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015, reaching the Western Conference semifinals.

George, who was named first-team All-NBA in 2018-19, averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists through 48 games with the Clippers this season. 

A No. 10 pick by the Indiana Pacers in 2010, George averaged 20.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists throughout his career, which saw him spend seven seasons in Indiana before two with the Thunder, beginning in 2017.

“I was confident in myself and where I wanted to be,” George said Thursday via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “I love being here. I love the family that I created in my first year. This is where I want to be…I want to build a real foundation. Ultimately this is where my legacy, I want to leave the biggest imprint on.”