“Keep Switching Teams…Running From the Grind”: Damian Lillard’s Snap at Paul George Resurfaces Ahead of $212M 76ers Signing

Paul George is headed to Philadelphia after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news on Monday morning. The nine-time All-Star will earn a hefty $212 million over the next four seasons, hopefully staying in Philly the whole while. The 76ers will be his fourth long-term stint with a team. This made some NBA fans recall Damian Lillard’s choice words for PG13 after he signed with the Clippers in 2019.

The rivalry between Damian Lillard and Paul George during the early 2020s was an unexpected beef. The entire fiasco began after Lillard sent PG and the Thunder home in the first round, on a 40-foot buzzer-beater in 2019.

The following year, in August, George got his revenge after the Clippers foiled Lillard’s plan of securing the 8th spot. After the game, Lillard commented on his rivals, George and Patrick Beverly celebrating his missing clutch free throws, by saying,

“I sent Patrick Beverly home before…Paul George just got sent home by me last year in the playoffs.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Bleacher Report (@bleacherreport)

Bleacher Report was sure to publish Lillard’s comments on their Instagram, and Pat Bev and George happened to respond. Regardless of the back-and-forth, the former Portland star got the last say as he called George’s loyalty into question. His comment read,

“Keep switching teams…running from the grind. You boys is chumps.”

pic.twitter.com/JtmUSidqz8

— Clippers UK (@ClippersUK) July 1, 2024

Fast forward three seasons and George is once again on the move, this time teaming up with league MVP Joel Embiid in Philly. This has prompted fans on NBA X to share Lillard’s 2020 comments about PG’s loyalty with the Clippers, even sharing a screenshot of the hilarious exchange on X.

But Lillard no longer has the standing to question George’s apparent ring-chasing ideology. Dame Dolla himself left Portland to chase a ring in Milwaukee. The former rivals will once again share the same conference as the Bucks and Philadelphia gear up to challenge the defending champions in the upcoming season.