Rumors circulated that Paul George of the Indiana Pacers said that he does not want to play with Kobe Bryant.
Previously, Henry Abbott of ESPN wrote an article attacking Bryant, saying that the veteran shooting guard is the main reason why the Los Angeles Lakers are performing terribly. Abbott cited several anonymous sources who reportedly talked flak about Kobe.
In Abbott's article, while the Lakers were primarily aiming to land Carmelo Anthony during the offseason, there were also other names that they were interested in, such as Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat and Paul George. Paul George reportedly re-signed with Indiana in the final quarter of 2013 since he was "turned off' by the thought of playing alongside the ball-hogging and manipulative Bryant, who would "police" his game.
Ultimately, Anthony, Bosh and George chose to remain in their old teams, being given more lucrative offers than what the Lakers could afford. Kobe is currently the most expensive player in the NBA, limiting the Lakers' resources to acquire top talent.
One NBA executive said in the same ESPN article, "He can't get a marquee player to play alongside Kobe, cap space be damned."
Another Lakers insider said, "Major players don't want to play with Kobe, and Jimmy (Buss) is waiting for him to leave."
Subsequently, Yahoo! Sports wrote that George was shocked to read that he allegedly uttered negative statements about Kobe and reportedly said that he did not want to play with the 38-year-old shooting guard and the Lakers. The reality is, George was offered a maximum contract for five years valued at $100 million to stay in Indiana. It was enough reason for him to remain with the Pacers, who was also a 2015 playoff contender.
George responded through his Twitter account, "Now how crazy does that Kobe story sound to you? #MediaReachingAgain".
In a report by Lakers Nation, George has several good memories of Kobe and actually idolizes the guy. George, who previously suffered from a gruesome injury, could not forget how Bryant texted him to give support before his operation.
Overall, the better financial offer provided by the Pacers will not compel him to leave for Los Angeles for a lower salary, let alone any other NBA team anytime soon. The 24-year-old would most likely grab an opportunity to play with Kobe, had he not been given the maximum deal by the Pacers.
Pro Basketball Talk reported that ESPN's article was one-sided and only intended to deface Kobe at this late stage of his career.
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