Paul George recently decided to unpack the trilling game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers last week. Discussing the same on his show, Podcast P, the Clippers star started off the pod by discussing the uphill task of guarding LeBron James. The riveting contest ended 130-125 in the Purple and Gold’s favor, but that isn’t what interested PG13.
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While he was obviously upset about the loss, what George decided to focus on was King James’ body weight and what it was like defending his drives to the basket. Having spent 13 seasons in the NBA, George has faced LeBron on countless occasions. And each time it has been an ordeal that he has dreaded in many ways.
For starters, the 33-year-old explained that Bron is at least 50 lbs heavier than him. Therefore, when he sees the Lakers superstar coming down the court at full speed, he always feels the need to brace himself for the impact of their bodies banging up against each other.
But at the end of the day, that isn’t always enough when facing the King. And more often than not, PG ends up flat on the ground. “I’m ready to brace for that contact…Bron coming at you-like you gotta back-pedal, cause you gotta absorb that contact differently… So he hit me, bro, I felt like I flew back…I’m like holding my sh*t like this,” the eight-time All-Star said, while describing guarding LeBron during his drives.
The freight train that is LeBron Ramone James ran riot over the Clippers that night. With 35 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, he led the Lakers to victory. It may have gone all the way to overtime, but Bron along with Anthony Davis managed to defeat the duo of Kawhi Leonard and PG13 at the start of the season. Despite Kawhi’s 38 and PG’s 35-point showing, the Clips could never really control the reigns of the game.
Lakers players’ things can be found all over the Clippers’ locker room
The victory over the Clippers was a huge deal for the Lakers. It was their first victory in 11 games over their city rivals. The last time they overcame them was back when the NBA was still in the Bubble three years ago. Fortunately, this win returns things back to their natural order.
For the longest time, the City of Angels belonged to one NBA team, the Lakers. Try as they might, the Clippers have been unable to get rid of the older brother-younger brother dynamic they have with their more successful counterparts. Even with their string of victories over the last three years, they haven’t been able to shake it off.
In fact, according to Paul George, the Crypto.com arena is pretty much Laker territory. Despite sharing the court with the Lakers, the Clippers are almost treated like second-class citizens. The same sentiment was echoed by Terance Mann, who revealed on PG’s podcast that no matter where you go, you can find something belonging to LeBron James and the Lakers.
It certainly has been a tough rivalry to deal with. But even now, with all the stars in LA, it continues to be relevant. The two teams have yet to meet in the postseason, which has frustrated many. What’s more, this might be the last chance for Kawhi and PG to shift the dynamic. They both have player options next season, and there is no indicator they will be availing them. Hopefully, they can change the narrative this year.
