All-Star media day had an audience this year and as Paul George shared his thoughts on the myriad questions posed to him, the fans a few hundred feet away, likely Lakers fans, started chanting “We Want Paul! We Want Paul!”
George smiled and chuckled hearing it.
“It feels good to be welcomed,” George said. “I think anybody would want to be wanted and to be welcomed. So, that’ll always feel great.”
A few podiums away, George’s teammate, Russell Westbrook, another southern California product, didn’t have quite as positive a reaction. Westbrook heard the fans and shouted angrily in their direction amid his own news conference.
“Paul ain’t going nowhere!” Westbrook said. “It’s over for that!”
Ever since George told the Indiana Pacers he wanted to leave in free agency to play for the Lakers, local fans have embraced the idea. George was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and has said he’ll consider staying there. He was cheered like a member of the home team during player introductions before the first time the Lakers hosted the Thunder.
George was asked on Saturday if he knew what he planned to do this summer.
“I don’t,” George said. Then he paused. “I know what I feel is best, but it’s a long ways until the end of the season.”
— Tania Ganguli
Hall of Fame finalists set
Point guards could run the show in the next Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class, with Jason Kidd and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash among the 13 finalists announced Saturday morning.
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Chris Rock sits courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Actors Chadwick Boseman, center, and Michael B. Jordan, left, sit courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Chance the Rapper bites into a piece of pizza courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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N.E.R.D perform with team mascots on the court at halftime of the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Fergie sings the National Anthem at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James laughs as he waits to receive his MVP trophy after leading Team LeBron to a 148-145 win over Team Stephen at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Comedian Tracy Morgan eats a hot dog courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Kevin Hart is center stage during a pregame show at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James captains Team LeBron against Team Stephen (Curry) at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Team Stephen center Karl Anthony-Towns pulls down a rebound over Team LeBron center Andre Drummond during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Stephen Curry struggles to dribble past the defense of Victor Oladipo during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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DeMar DeRozan of Team Stephen gets by Kevin Durant of Team LeBron during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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DeMar DeRozan leads Joel Embiid to the court after the starting lineup for Team Stephen is announed at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Team Stephen defender Draymond Green blocks the shot of Team LeBron center Al Horford during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Stephen Curry stays warm on the sideline during a break in the action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Jerry West chats with Bill Russel and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, left, courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James knocks Joel Embiid to the floor after losing control of the ball during first half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Russell Westbrook challenges Team Stephen defender DeMar DeRozan during first half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Joel Embiid signals after hitting a three-pointer for Team Stephen in the first half at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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DeMar DeRozan is fouled by Paul George during the last minute of play at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James is awarded the MVP trophy after leading Team LeBron to a 148-145 win over Team Stephen at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Stephen Curry is trapped by Team LeBron defenders as he tries to attempt a last second shot at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James, right, and Kevin Durant celebrate a close win over Team Stephen Curry at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Russell Westbrook reacts after a kicked ball call prevented a fast break for Team LeBron at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James yells out after hitting a three-pointer late in the second half at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Russell Westrbrook fouls Giannis Antetokounmpo as LeBron James looks on during first half action in the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Team LeBron captain LeBron James shoots over Draymond Green to tie the score late in the game at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo slams the ball home for two points over Team LeBron player Paul George during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, sporting a Darrell Griffith jersey, jumps over three people, including comedian Kevin Hart, during the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night at Staples Center.
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Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. flies to the basket during the Slam Dunk Contest.
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Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oldaipo puts on a “Black Panther” mask given to him by the star of the blockbuster movie, Chadwick Bosman, during the Slam Dunk Contest.
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Pacers guard Victor Oladipo wears a “Black Panther” mask while participating in the Slam Dunk contest.
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Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. wears his father’s Phoenix Suns uniform during the Slam Dunk Contest.
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell winds up as he elevates during the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night at Staples Center.
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Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. throws down a windmill dunk after taking a pass from his father, Larry Nance Sr., who won the first Slam Dunk contest in 1984.
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is congratulated by Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. after winning the Slam Dunk Contest.
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Suns guard’ Devin Booker lines up a shot during the Three-Point Shooting Contest on Saturday night at Staples Center.
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Spencer Dinwiddie poses with the Skills Challenge Trophy after winning the competition on Saturday night at Staples Center.
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Lou Williams competed in the Skills Challenge on Saturday night at Staples Center. He would lose in the first round to eventual champion Spencer Dinwiddie.
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Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic of Team World celebrates after receiving the Rising Stars Challenge MVP Trophy from Chris Webber on Friday night at Staples Center.
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Buddy Hield of Team World is defended by Jaylen Brown of Team USA during the Rising Stars Challenge.
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Team World’s Bogdan Bogdanovic made seven three-pointers to finish with 26 points in the Rising Stars game.
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Dennis Smith Jr., of Team USA elevates for a dunk during the Rising Stars game.
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Lauri Markkanen of Team World finishes off a dunk during the Rising Stars game at Staples Center.
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Team World’s Dillon Brooks is set to throw down a dunk during the Rising Stars game on Friday.
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Team USA forward Kyle Kuzma attempts a reverse layup against Domantas Sabonis of Team World during the Rising Stars game.
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Team World forward Ben Simmons sends a pass ahead to a teammate during the Rising Stars game on Friday night at Staples Center.
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Quavo, center, accepts the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP Trophy on Friday evening.
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Michael B. Jordan and Jason Williams greet each other during the Celebrity Game at Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday.
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Nick Cannon and Justin Bieber watch the Celebrity Game from Team Lakers bench on Friday.
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Actor Jamie Foxx jokes around before the start of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday.
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Rachel DeMita of Team Clippers attempts a shot against Stefanie Dolson of Team Lakers during the 2018 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Los Angeles Convention Center.
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Team Clippers’ Quavo leads a fast break against Team Lakers’ Justin Bieber during the 2018 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday at Los Angeles Convention Center.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images) Ray Allen, Grant Hill, Maurice Cheeks and Chris Webber also made the cut, but the two standout point guards are all but locks to headline the class, which will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio.
Charles “Lefty” Driesell, Rudy Tomjanovich and Baylor’s Kim Mulkey made the final ballot as coaches. Katie Smith, Tina Thompson and longtime NBA official Hugh Evans are also finalists.
The 1953-58 Wayland Baptist University teams that won 131 consecutive games and four AAU national championships is the lone team finalist while Andy Bernstein and Doris Burke were named recipients of the 2018 Curt Gowdy media award
Finalists must receive 18 votes from the 24-member honors committee to be enshrined. The entire class will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio.
— Associated Press
