76ers forward Paul George has spoken about his broken relationship with Chris Paul, a player he once considered a friend.
Paul George is 15 years into his NBA career, which has led to him meeting players he considers friends. He got close to players like Lance Stephenson, Steven Adams, and Russell Westbrook.
He has connected well throughout his career, but some players are tougher to link up with than others.
Enter Chris Paul, a respected veteran player. At the same time, he also gets flak for his on-court antics. He still has good relationships around the league, but his antics might have gone too far.
Photo by Harry How/Getty ImagesPaul George did not appreciate what Chris Paul said on the court
As NBA veterans, George and Paul have interacted with each other throughout their careers. They even struck a friendship that involved training together in the offseason.
Unfortunately, the duo clashed in a game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns. That was the breaking point for their friendship, as George did not appreciate what Paul was saying
“I was talking to CP. He was the reason I got Lasik. I would work out with CP in the summers. It was a brotherhood,” George said on The Pivot podcast.
“It’s one thing to build a relationship, then you get on the court and start saying wild s___. Like, damn, have you always felt this way?”
“Words were thrown out there that shouldn’t be thrown out there between two men. That kind of just drew the line for me.”
This was a tough moment for George because he thought he had a lifelong friend in the veteran point guard.
Chris Paul continues to be a polarizing player
In his lengthy career, Chris Paul has been an excellent point guard. He is the prototypical pass-first guard with limitless knowledge and hard work. However, he also has a reputation for getting into altercations with opponents.
That has made him a polarizing player, even though everyone can respect his greatness. Unfortunately, his personality and willingness to get every advantage have turned some people off. This includes the officials with whom he has had conflicts.
There will never be a crazier sequence to win an NBA game than this…
– Timberwolves up 2 points with 1.1 secs on the clock, KAT shooting 2 FTs
– Chris Paul talks the ref into giving MIN a tech for an untucked jersey 😂
– KAT just needed to miss the second FT and they win…but… pic.twitter.com/J1NLOXUNNe
— Steven Adams Stats (@funakistats) September 26, 2023
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George is part of that crowd because they were close, but Paul went a step too far.
“My feelings were hurt with that, I thought we were tighter than that. And then we get between these lines, and certain words were thrown out that I didn’t expect from you.” George continued on The Pivot.
Sadly, a strong friendship ended badly. They were close enough to interact during the offseason, but tempers flare up during games. It is fair for George to draw the line when it comes to personal attacks.
It might draw some people to call him “soft” for setting a boundary. However, a lot of people will also support George for doing what he did. It is a weird dynamic, but people won’t know what is going on behind the scenes.