Thunder forward Paul George defended his offseason conversations with Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw as about only fishing, not Shaw recruiting the star to Los Angeles.
That was odd, because the NBA cited only Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and Lakers president Magic Johnson (for a prior warning) when fining the Lakers for tampering.
Did George – who played for the Pacers when Indiana initiated the tampering inquiry – unwittingly reveal there was more for the league to investigate?
Nope. The league already handled that.
Paul George and Los Angeles Lakers associate head coach Brian Shaw allowed their private texts and emails to be examined by NBA investigators this past summer, as the league looked into their relationship after George’s former team, the Indiana Pacers, raised concerns about possible tampering.
Multiple sources told ESPN earlier Wednesday that the league’s investigation found no evidence of tampering by Shaw in his relationship with George.
I’m not shocked Shaw’s and George’s emails and texts showed nothing. But how would the league prove what Shaw told George while fishing, anyway? Out on the water isn’t like being on Jimmy Kimmel Live.