Philadelphia 76ers wingman Paul George is bracing himself for an emotionally charged return to Los Angeles as he and his team visit the Intuit Dome to battle his former squad, the L.A. Clippers, on Wednesday night.
This game marks P.G.'s first match against the Clippers -- a team he elevated to unprecedented heights -- since joining the Sixers after a contentious contract negotiation with his former team.
P.G.'s debut in the Intuit Dome
P.G., James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard were the trio that was supposed to open the Intuit Dome in style.
However, that plan never came to fruition after P.G.'s defection and Kawhi's knee injury left The Beard as the last man standing.
The 6-foot-8 George expressed his excitement at playing at the brand-new arena that fans and players have been raving about.
"It's going to be fun. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be dope. I've heard so much about people that have played in Intuit, and I'm excited to have that opportunity to play there. I'm looking forward to the wall; there's been a lot of good reactions to it," P.G. said on "Podcast P."
ESPN's Marc Spears says the Clippers will pay tribute to PG
P.G. also wondered aloud on his podcast if he'll get a video tribute on his return to his old stomping grounds, something he's gotten only once in his career.
"Who knows? I've only gotten that in one place -- shoutout Oklahoma. I've only gotten that in one place, so the odds aren't stacked; the odds aren't on my side. We'll see," the nine-time All-Star stated.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Marc Spears reported that the former George would indeed be honored with a video tribute.
"I'm told they're going to do a big tribute video for him. I'm really curious as to how the wall and Clippers fans will respond to P.G. being back in the building," Spears said on "NBA Today."
P.G. was the centerpiece of a massive 2019 trade that sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Oklahoma City Thunder, five first-round picks, and two pick swaps.
In five seasons with the Clippers, P.G. averaged 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, pushing the team to the 2021 Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the Phoenix Suns.
Related: Ranking the best seasons in Clippers franchise history