Tony Gwynn is unequivocally San Diego’s favorite athlete. Many in the area would get into an actual fist fight simply for overhearing one bad word about the man. The reasoning behind millions loving a person that many never actually got a chance to meet is simple, he never left. He could have. He could have many times, but he never left. His whole career and much of his extraordinary life was spent in sunny San Diego, so the city pays him back with eternal admiration.
The cost of this type of fealty is as harsh as the payment is sweet. Tony Gwynn never became a champion. He never achieved maximum popularity and never was a Yankee whose every highlight got plastered across ESPN. He stayed loyal even when he owed San Diego and the Padres nothing.
This type of loyalty is something every fan base craves but few get. It is also something not a single one of them deserve. Players get to choose their profession but they do not get to choose their destination. Their fate, in the NBA’s case, is determined almost completely by a lottery. Random ping pong balls, picked without a glance are the entities that determine where these players land. They do not get to decide if they land in a competent or amateur operation, yet there is expectations for the truly great ones to stick around no matter what.
Paul George was likely under the same expectations from those in in Indiana. He is extremely good, he has been a Pacer his whole career, so he should stay with the Pacers, win with his team. But, he, like many before him, decided that was not his chosen destiny. He wanted to play for another team. Maybe for the Lakers or for a contender or any other team that does not rely on re-signing Lance Stephenson to make a potential playoff push.
There were cries, like there always is, about loyalty. About how Paul George had once claimed Indiana as his own. The cries weren’t nearly as loud as those that came from Oklahoma City or Cleveland, however. The inevitability of George leaving has grown for months instead of in an instant like it did for those cities. This caused a steady, yet glacial, acceptance of the move. Kevin Durant’s most recent change of scenery and LeBron’s former one caused whole cities to stir violently with anger. Fans inflamed jerseys, spit venom, and declared vengeance against the players they used to love.
A simple declaration of change. Finally seizing and deciding their own destiny. Not letting ping pong balls, free agents, or front offices do that for them. This is what caused so much consternation. Even if it was the better move for their careers, they will never be viewed the same. There is a reason Kobe is one of the most beloved players in NBA history and Shaquille O’Neal is not, even if most believe Shaq was the better player.
LeBron and Kevin Durant made the right moves for their careers, the same may be true for Paul George. He may find immense success in Oklahoma City. He may find future championships, accolades, and widespread respect whilst playing for a fan base that can be ravenous in their affection. If there is one thing people care more about than loyalty, it’s winning. Winning would ease the pain of a love lost when George was booted from Indiana. Or maybe it won’t work. Maybe him and Russell Westbrook make for an awkward pair. It is no secret Westbrook loves the ball in his hands, infatuated with it even. There is a chance that Paul doesn’t like his inevitably lessened role. That is the risk of forcing your way out.
Players leave in the hopes of exchanging local obsession for titles and boosts in their consensus’ all-time ranking. Paul George’s move has the high probability of losing one while never gaining the other. The Warriors still exist and a lineup with just two superstars, while deadly, is just no match. George only has a year left on his contract and may still leave to wear purple and gold. In fact, the chances of that seem equal to those of him staying.
The desire for loyalty in sports is both a farce and a reality. Paul George took a large risk to leave but he was in search of greater things. He took his future into his own hands and risked one of the sweetest things in sports for a chance at the ultimate goal. Hopefully it’s a decision he doesn’t end up regretting, but at least it’s a decision he got to make on his own.
