Oklahoma City community gives Paul George a Thunderous welcome

Paul George landed in Oklahoma City where he was received like the returning hero by the community.

On the same day the Lee Jenkins Sports Illustrated article came out, Paul George coincidentally got the answers to many of the questions he’d been seeking since June 30.

Every NBA player has spent time in Oklahoma City as an opponent, but those trips tend to be no longer than 24-hour stopovers. Further, having played the entirety of his NBA career in Indiana, George has experienced just the twice-yearly visits.

Those trips don’t afford players many opportunities to learn much. Clearly, that’s not nearly enough time to become familiar with a city. True, there is the normal checklist of common items. The infamous hotel Skirvin, rumored to be haunted. That amazing Chesapeake crowd with the collegian atmosphere. Or the uniquely profound and life lasting effect, the Oklahoma City National Memorial delivers to each visitor.

Paul George researches his new community:

For fans the best way to describe the NBA players life on the road would be similar to going on vacations or overnight business trips. Surely, visiting teams know where the local movie theater is located, have discovered a favorite restaurant and perhaps even have a particular rock climbing facility or art gallery they are fond of visiting.

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Yet, much like vacations, opponents don’t know what any given city is like at its roots. The culture, nightlife, restaurants, the arts, etc. Suffice to say, to know Oklahoma City is to love it. But, you have to spend time there among the beautiful, warm, charming Oklahomans to fully appreciate the essence of what makes it uniquely special.

Visiting teams also don’t see what franchises have ‘in house’ or what their staffs are like. For instance, it is common knowledge the Phoenix Suns have a state of the art training staff. It is credited for extending many a vets career like Steve Nash and Grant Hill.

Conversely, New Orleans sits on the opposite end of that spectrum in that regard. George will get the full trip of the facilities tomorrow, but today his introduction was isolated to his new community.

Unlikely peers offer glowing reviews:

As per Jenkins’ article, George was anxious to learn more about his new home, seeking out answers from his peers. Ironically, it was two previous Thunder players who provided glowing reviews of their former team home.

It made sense George would reach out to Kevin Durant. After all, the two played together on the National Team and KD was on the court the night of PG’s terrible injury.

"“KD was like, ‘That place will blow you away,’” George says. “He told me, ‘They can offer what other teams can’t in terms of the people and the preparation and the facility, down to the chefs and the meals.’ He was pretty high on them. He thought it was a first-class organization in every way.”"

The other former Thunder player was a little more surprising– Reggie Jackson:

"But one of George’s closest friends is Reggie Jackson, and when the Thunder shipped him to the Pistons in 2015, Jackson was stunned to learn his destination…. Jackson, despite his own turbulent exit from the Thunder, told his buddy that he would love it."

And, so it was that Paul George descended upon his new home a day prior to what will be his formal introduction.  I wonder if George’s research included looking into the namesake of the airport he landed at. The affable celebrity (Will Rogers) who had a way of making everyone feel comfortable even when delivering controversial quips epitomizes the warmth of Oklahomans.

Oklahoma Community welcomes George with open arms:

OKC Thunder fans began to arrive hours prior to George’s arrival. Based on the video’s taken of the arrival of the star he was visibly moved by the welcome.  The following tweet posted by the Thunder offers a wonderful pictorial

Undoubtedly this was the first of many raucous ovations George will receive over the course of the next year. As Jenkins pointed out in his article leaving Indiana was difficult for George who aspired to bring a championship to the Pacers fans. Ultimately, the lack of talent surrounding him led to his decision to leave.

Russell Westbrook and the current Thunder squad will do their very best to inspire George to want to remain in OKC past this season. For their part, Thunder fans did what they do in Oklahoma City and welcomed Paul George like he was the native son returning home.

This will be the first of many ovations Paul George will receive this season. In short order, Paul George will add his name to the list of Thunder players who boast about the community. The hope, however, is his story will focus on July 11 being the beginning of a beautiful long-lasting relationship.