Paul George, the Los Angeles Clippers superstar and Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns superstar are both great shooters and skilled scorers, who pour their heart and soul into their performance.
Paul George and D Book had a heated exchange in a match in 2021, leading to trash talk. It was perhaps this trash talking incident that gave birth to the beef in between them.
Trash talk’s role in the Paul George-Devin Booker rivalry
In a recent episode of Podcast P, Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson joined the show to discuss several different topics. When the topic of trash talk came up, Paul George asked Thompson about the “four rings” taunt he used on Devin Booker.
“I was in my feelings, and Booker was busting my ass that day,” Thompson said. “I was not where I needed to be. Stuff doesn’t age well, and that didn’t age well for me. I don’t need to be flexing four rings, bro. Everybody knows that, that’s on Wikipedia. My game wasn’t where it was at, and we all get insecure at times. I’m man enough to admit we all have our moments of weakness. I’m not really proud of that one.” said Thompson.
Booker saw this response from Thompson, and the Phoenix Suns star seemingly called out Paul George on Instagram for asking that question. While Paul George and Devin Booker were friends before their beef, trash-talking played a huge role in their conflict. Booker called George “soft” during a scuffle. Since then, there had not been any major rivalry between the two, but it still looks like Booker and George are not on good terms. During a stream, George addressed Booker’s Instagram comment, calling it a “sorry-ass response” to the exchange between him and Thompson
Why did Paul George go to the Clippers
For the 2019-2020 season, the Clippers got Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, two of the best two way players in the league. The team announced that it acquired Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and the Clippers’ first-round draft picks in 2022, 2024, and 2026, along with two first-round choices via Miami in 2021 and 2023, and the right to swap first-round picks in 2023 and 2025.
George’s acquisition was announced after Kawhi Leonard signed his contract with the Clippers. Clippers president of basketball operations, Lawrence Frank, included a statement about George’s impact on the franchise. He said, “Paul George is one of the greatest two-way players in our game. He is both an elite scorer and a relentless defender whose versatility elevates any team. When you have the opportunity to acquire a contributor of his caliber, you do what it takes to bring him home.”
Paul George had decided to join the Clippers because he wanted to team up with the “Fun Guy” Kawhi Leonard and pursue a championship together. On paper, they formed a strong pair and were optimistic about their championship aspirations.
What are your thoughts on the beef between George and Booker? Feel free to share with us in the comments below.
