Kawhi Leonard demonstrated to Paul George that their bond transcends their time with the Clippers after George chose to depart for the 76ers.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, once teammates with the Clippers, now depicted together, with George wearing a 76ers uniform, under the caption “LIFELONG BROTHERS.” When the Clippers traded five first-round picks, two pick swaps, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Danilo Gallinari for Paul George in July 2019 to team up with Kawhi Leonard, they had championship aspirations. However, after just five seasons and three playoff series wins, George’s time with the Clippers ended when he signed a four-year, $212 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.The conclusion of Leonard and George’s tenure with the Clippers may not have matched the team’s initial expectations from five years ago. Nevertheless, the challenges faced by the Clippers during this period have strengthened the bond between Leonard and George, evolving their relationship beyond basketball.

In a recent episode of Podcast P presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, the newly-signed 76ers player shared that Leonard was supportive when informed about his decision to leave the Clippers, encouraging him to capitalize on his earning potential.

“I owed Kawhi that conversation. I called him up and was just like, man, listen, I think I’m going to go elsewhere. Conversations with the Clippers didn’t go how I wanted to. … We had that conversation and I was like, man, ‘I got to do what’s best.’ He understood like ‘Go get your bag.’ Like, ‘P, go get your bag. I can’t even be mad at you,’” George said.

Despite facing each other as opponents on the NBA court once more, Paul George still views Kawhi Leonard as a true brother. George feels a heartfelt disappointment that he and Leonard couldn’t achieve their goals together over the last five years, leading him to join the 76ers to secure the contract he believes he deserves.

“I look at Kawhi as one of my best friends in this league. Somebody that I f**k with. Our families love each other. So it was tough to leave him just with how much I enjoyed being out there with him,” George added. “That was one of a big decision too that weighed a lot on me was just, damn, I’m leaving my boy. But I had to have that conversation with him. We talked and he gave me his blessings of like, ‘Man, just go do what’s best for you.’”