The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Brooklyn Nets 124-120 on Tuesday night. After the fact, Clippers star Paul George spoke to the media and expressed his unhappiness with the disrespect he received from officials all night.
What ticked George off most?
The fact that he got to the foul line just once for the entire game.
That simply didn’t sit well with him.
“I absolutely think it was disrespectful I had one free throw attempt today,” he said. “The amount of plays I initiated or created contact, and to get sent to the line one time. Definitely plays I’m gonna have sent in.”
George’s lone free throw attempt was the byproduct of him driving and scoring against Landry Shamet with just under seven minutes remaining the fourth quarter. His three-point play gave LA a 102-97 lead with 6:58 remaining in the outing.
For comparison’s sake, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving went a combined 16-of-16 from the line on Tuesday night, while Kawhi Leonard went 8-of-9.
As a team, the Clippers went to the free throw line a mere 17 times versus Nets’ 26 trips.
The Bucks owner’s daughter decided to bring 2021 in with a bang by stripping all her clothes off. https://t.co/UgzhEEna4o
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 7, 2021
While it’s hard to argue with George that a player of his caliber should probably be getting to the line more, it’s also difficult to ignore what a perpetual whiner he has turned into.
When he struggled last year, it was someone else’s fault. When he beefs with opponents, it’s someone else’s fault. When his teammates don’t respect him, it’s someone else’s fault.
It’s tiring.
Karl-Anthony Towns’ reaction to Jordyn Woods’ Buss It video speaks for itself.
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 26, 2021
Because of all that, even when he makes a fair point, you almost want to argue against him.
That said, should George get to the foul line more than just once in a single game? Yes.
Will him saying so make officials treat him with more respect going forward? Time will tell.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
