Paul George has a small freshwater pond behind his house in Oklahoma City that he stocks with bass, crappie and bluegill. Last summer, on the first night of free agency, he agreed to re-sign with the Thunder on a four-year, $137 million deal. The news emanated from a house party that Russell Westbrook, his superstar teammate, was hosting for George, who did not even entertain meetings with rival teams. In doing so, George made clear that he was banking on his partnership with Westbrook while offering endorsements of the organization and of Oklahoma City’s leisurely pace. “You can give your everything to one organization, and you know the direction that you’re going,” George said in a recent interview.

Source: New York Times March 25, 2019 06:56 UTC