About a year before LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers, the big star they were reportedly after was Paul George.
After seven seasons with the Indiana Pacers, his once-decent supporting cast had deteriorated, and he wanted out. At the time, it was believed that he wanted to be traded to the Lakers, as he grew up in Palmdale, an exurb of Los Angeles.
As it turned out, George was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he spent two seasons before wanting out so he could join Kawhi Leonard on the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019.
Recently, he confirmed his desire to head to the Purple and Gold back in 2017.
Via Lakers Daily:
“We were trying to protect going somewhere that I really didn’t want to go,” George said of his trade request from the Pacers. “Obviously, I wanted to come back home. Lakers was – you know – first – my idol went there.”
After being sent to Oklahoma City, George was a free agent in 2018, and again there were rumors that he wanted to join the Lakers. Instead, he re-upped with the Thunder and proclaimed his loyalty to Russell Westbrook, who was still their franchise player.
That was the summer James took his talents to Los Angeles.
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Story originally appeared on LeBron Wire