Paul George is on the smallest of the Los Angeles teams – That does not stop him from embodying Kobe Bryant’s spirit the best.
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After a long-term injury that had sidelined him for most of the season, Paul George made his return to the lineup against the Utah Jazz. Usually, when players return from such lengthy times on the sidelines, they can be forgiven for being a bit rusty. Not Paul George though, because he dropped 34 points on the reigning defensive player of the year’s team.
An explosive 3rd quarter made sure of the Los Angeles Clippers’ victory, on the same night that they saw their city “rivals” (not so much now are they?) drop down to the 11th seed after their loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Ty Lue has done an excellent job keeping the Clippers afloat while not having two of their stars this season.
The post-game interview saw the Clippers man speak about Kobe Bryant and how he played through these types of situations. Famous for playing through pain, George took inspiration from the Los Angeles favorite to aid his performance as well. No one on the Lakers team has the spirit right now, but PG 13 sure does have the Mamba Mentality.
“Having an idol like Kobe Bryant is why I’m back”: Paul George on what made him return this season
There were times when it looked like the Clippers would be out of the running for any playoff action this season. But lucky for them, they had an adept coach at hand. Kawhi Leonard has not played all season, and Paul George missed several months, yet they managed to stay within that 6-8 spots.
Tonight, after PG dropped 34 in his return, he was asked what made him choose to return this season. George named Kobe and said it was having an idol like him that inspired him to push for a return.
“Having an idol like Kobe Bryant who plays through stuff like this”
– Paul George when asked how he willed himself back from injury this season 😤 Todays hoopers know it was just so real with Bean. No gimmicks. pic.twitter.com/YaNVahb3Ue
— Ball Don’t Stop (@balldontstop) March 30, 2022
They may not be making a deep playoff run, but the Clippers deserve respect. Most teams would just give up their ambitions for the season and wait it out for the next, but this team looks hungry. They have trounced their city counterparts each time they met, and have two of the biggest comebacks as well this season.
They could cause a few upsets in the post-season, and with George back into the action, one can wonder how their season would have turned out. If they keep this core intact for next season, they could find themselves with great momentum.
