Paul George did not take too kindly to Los Angeles Lakers veteran Jared Dudley calling him out in his new book.
Dudley took a shot at the Clippers star in his book “Inside the NBA Bubble: A Championship Season under Quarantine,” saying George didn’t have the credentials to be talking smack and that the Lakers took offense. Dudley wrote:
We hear some of those guys talking about how they’re the team to beat in L.A. It’s fine if Kawhi [Leonard] says stuff like that. He’s defending a championship. We don’t trip if someone like Patrick Beverley is talking trash; that’s how he feeds his family. We get it. We respect the hustle.
But we think it’s disrespectful for Paul George, who hasn’t won, to put himself on the level of [LeBron James] and [Anthony Davis]. This motivates us.
George heard the criticism from Dudley and responded after scoring 36 points against the Cavaliers in a Clippers’ win on Wednesday night.
Paul George: “God bless you Jared Dudley. I don’t know what it is, dudes love throwing my name in stuff. But God bless you, Jared.”
“God bless him. God bless you, Jared Dudley,” said George. “I don’t know what it is. Dudes love throwing my name in stuff, but God bless you, Jared.”
Paul George Made Bold Statement Prior to Last Season
Getty ImagesPaul George of the LA Clippers.
To be fair, George hasn’t made himself the most likable character in recent years. And a tough showing in the bubble where he transformed from “Playoff P” to “Pandemic P” didn’t help his cause either. That being said, George has looked much sharper outside of the bubble, averaging 24.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists this season.
The statement Dudley and the Lakers appeared to take exception with came prior to last season.
“When you look at two guys that play on both ends, two guys that can go and get a basket, two guys that can stop you from getting a basket, elite on both ends, I don’t see how you can beat that,” George told reporters, making a case that he and Kawhi were the best duo in the NBA.
“Elite on both ends, I don’t see how you can beat that.” 👀
@Yg_Trece tells @Powell2daPeople how he and Kawhi are the best duo in the NBA.
There were reports that other players within the Clippers organization were not happy with George and Leonard getting preferential treatment last year. Montrezl Harrel — now a Laker — appeared to be one of those people. George appeared to take a shot at his former Clippers teammate earlier in the season when asked about the issue by TNT analyst Charles Barkley.
“The dudes that put in the work, that built themselves up to be where they’re at, it’s a reason they get to that level,” George said on the broadcast. “They know what they need and they know what makes them play at a high level. Whoever that offends — we don’t have that issue right now in this locker room.”
Jared Dudley Defends Right to Criticize as Role Player
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward Jared Dudley.
Dudley holds a career average of 7.4 points per game and is seeing the court less than 4 minutes per game this year. Dudley — who occasionally responds to fans challenging him to 1-on-1 games on social media — defended his credentials.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what gives me the right. Fourteen years, 900 games, played with over 25 Hall of Famers. Future coach, future GM, I think I put a little bit of work in where I could talk about it,” Dudley said. “Doesn’t mean what I say is right.”
He also defended the statement he made in the book.
“My comments were more about how we viewed the motivation,” Dudley said Wednesday. “Paul George is a hell of a player, an MVP candidate. Doesn’t mean that what he said wasn’t wrong. But the difference is … how you see how someone like LeBron and AD, them not saying anything. Them saying, ‘You know what, we’ll find out who the king of L.A. is on the court’ last year.”
The Clippers are currently tied for the top spot in the Western Conference with the Jazz. The Lakers are hot on their heels, just a half-game behind. There’s still a long way to go, but just about everyone would welcome a spot in the NBA Finals coming down to a battle for LA.
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Paul George Claps Back at Lakers’ Jared Dudley After Comments