Paul George’s father reflects on split from Clippers: ‘I felt like they stabbed us in the back’

Before Paul George signed with the 76ers in free agency, he first negotiated with the Los Angeles Clippers. And as free agency opened, reports indicated that there was trouble in paradise. George addressed the issue on his podcast, Podcast P with Paul George, saying he felt “disrespected” by the Clippers’ offer in the weeks after he joined the Sixers.

George’s father, Paul George Sr., recently joined the podcast and was asked about his son’s decision to leave the Clippers. From his vantage point as a parent, he believed his son bent over backward for the Clippers.

» READ MORE: Date set for Sixers at Clippers, Paul George’s return to Los Angeles

“I felt like they stabbed us in the back because I thought Paul did a whole lot for the team,” George Sr. said. “The fans was there, he was there, I think he gave them 110 percent. And what he was asking, it wasn’t a whole lot. Now, they seen something different. But I didn’t want him just to take anything. His whole thing is that he does stand up for what he believes in, and he felt like that was a bunch of bull that they came at him with, and I wasn’t go sugarcoat it, either.

“Of course, it kind of put us in a little bump and grind but it’s all good. You love being at home but sometimes home can kind of slow you down. He put in work for it, and I felt that he should’ve got paid for it. We didn’t stutter about it. We didn’t [say], ‘Well, me think about it. [It was more], ‘What they come at you like this? You got to go.’ I was thinking we go next door then [to the Lakers]. But they already spent too much money.”

George produced 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in his final season with the Clippers. He was his most efficient, shooting 41.3% on three-pointers and 47.1% from the field, both career marks.

But health issues had marred his partnership in Los Angeles with Kawhi Leonard. While George played 74 games last season, he didn’t participate in more than 56 in the other four seasons. And Leonard has consistently missed time with a number of injuries as well.

That chapter is now behind George, though, and he’ll get a fresh start with the Sixers. George and his father both appear excited at the prospect. George Sr. a big fan of Julius Erving, detailed what his experience was like as the Sixers took his son through the courting process.

» READ MORE: Paul George says Dr. J compared him to Moses Malone during Sixers’ star-studded recruiting trip

“When I see Dr. [Julius Erving], I’m looking at him and I’m like, ‘Man, I thought you’d be taller.’ I think I was taller than him. And I’m saying, ‘Dang, why can’t I jump like you?’ Of course, it was like meeting Superman or something. He was my idol, back in the day; Dr. J, he was the man. I don’t care how you look at it, talking about basketball, he was the man. And back then everybody had fro’s, so you step on the court and everybody was Dr. J.

“So when I seen him in person, I was like, ‘Man, you just don’t know. You was my man.’ And for him to come and reach out to my son, and he started talking about before he got his championship he was missing that piece. And then we he got it that’s when they won. And he stated to Paul, this is our missing piece right here. So I was like, ‘Wow, that’s coming from Dr. J.’”