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#Post#: 38--------------------------------------------------
Paul George says Clippers grew closer amid NBA protest
DIR By: The Referee
Date: August 29, 2020, 6:20 pm
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Ohm Youngmisuk
ESPN Staff Writer-
After an emotional Wednesday meeting in which they left thinking
the season could be over, the LA Clippers return to the court
and play Game 6 on Sunday feeling closer than they were the last
time they faced the Dallas Mavericks.
"Absolutely," Clippers star Paul George said of the events of
the past three days pulling the team closer together. "I mean,
this is a roller coaster. It's a roller coaster being in here,
so all of us are riding this wave together, and it's an
experience we'll all take away from it. But we definitely got
closer."
The Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers voted on perhaps not
continuing with the postseason when polled during Wednesday
night's pivotal meeting between players and coaches, sources
told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. As players considered what was
best to do and how to continue their fight for social justice,
they ultimately voted in favor of continuing the season on
Thursday.
The Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers voted on perhaps not
continuing with the postseason when polled during Wednesday
night's pivotal meeting between players and coaches, sources
told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. As players considered what was
best to do and how to continue their fight for social justice,
they ultimately voted in favor of continuing the season on
Thursday.
But during those tense hours in the aftermath of the Milwaukee
Bucks opting not to play their Game 5 of their first-round
series against the Orlando Magic which ignited a string of other
postponed games over the shooting of Jacob Blake by Wisconsin
police, the Clippers had several difficult conversations among
themselves and with other teams.
"We had to spend two days of talking and having uncomfortable
conversations," George said. "You know, you got to see different
guys' points of view and different guys' interests, and there
was just a lot laid out on the table that the whole team kind of
talked about. We definitely got closer."
Since training camp last October, the Clippers have constantly
been working on forming their chemistry amid numerous
disruptions due to injuries, lack of practice time, two key
roster additions in February, the four-month hiatus due to the
coronavirus and then players arriving late or having to leave
the bubble due to life circumstances. But after crushing the
Mavericks 154-111 on Tuesday, the Clippers heard Doc Rivers
deliver a gripping and emotional plea for social justice and
equality in his postgame media session.
Rivers was furious after seeing video of Blake, a 29-year-old
Black man, shot multiple times in the back by police as he tried
to get into a car. Then the games came to a stop on Wednesday,
leading to the players and coaches meeting in which Rivers was
asked by Oklahoma City point guard and NBPA president Chris Paul
to talk.
"I think every team is closer because of the last 48 hours,"
Rivers said. "But I think what really is closer is just the
players in general as a group ... when you see guys in the room
that are talking that probably don't know each other ... I mean,
there's some smart young players in this league. I can tell you
that. I saw a player do a PowerPoint in front of the other
players, and it was a lot of impressive stuff going on."
Rivers and others have also said that mental health awareness
was a topic of discussion during that meeting as well. George
had revealed following Game 5 that he underestimated mental
health and that he had been suffering from anxiety and some
depression during a shooting slump he endured during Games 2, 3
and 4.
"You know, whether I was the first to say it [inside the bubble]
or not, we're all dealing with it," George said of players
feeling the effects of isolation inside the NBA's bubble for 50
days and longer. "I've had conversations with guys here, and
there's been a couple guys that is like, man, I'm happy I'm not
the only one. I've been dealing with this, too.
"It's a thing in here. It's a brotherhood."
George said he sought help from a team psychiatrist, family,
friends and his teammates. He hit 12 of 18 shots, including four
of eight on 3-point attempts, to score 35 points in Game 5. In
his previous three games, he said he felt like he was in a "dark
place" while shooting 10-for-47 overall and missing 21 of 25
3-point attempts over Games 2, 3 and 4 combined.
"First, I wasn't just going to cave in immediately," George said
of fighting through what he was feeling. "If it got severe, I
think my team would have understood if I needed to walk away
from this. But all it took was me seeking help and seeking
advice, and starting from there, it helped. It put me in a
different place."
After learning of how difficult it has been inside the bubble
for many players from Wednesday's meeting, Rivers said that
mental health needs to be treated more importantly than an
injury.
"We're starting to wake up to the reality that there's no
difference between a sprained ankle and something going wrong
with your brain," Rivers said. "The brain ... it is more
important. But it's been such a taboo subject in society and
probably even more taboo in sports because of the machismo.
"... Anything with the mind is [considered] weak, you know.
That's been the messaging throughout society... I just think
we've just got to keep talking about it. The more we talk about
it, the more we make it normal."
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