When the Paul George trade was announced, The Atheltic's Shams Charania alluded to growing tension between him and Russell Westbrook, giving way to much speculation on social media. It's no secret; Westbrook is a passionate, animated, and at times, antagonistic personality (to have around). But unless you're a lonely soul like Kevin Durant, Westbrook is generally well-liked by his teammates. I don't think KD and Westbrook have any real "bad blood" beyond their divergent interests on the court.
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Given the outbreak of Russell Westbrook, and unjustly so - PG took to Twitter to set the record straight, but not before Jalen Rose could do the same, when he tweeted, "I am not accepting any Westbrook slander!!!!"
Paul George's post borrowed heavily from Jalen Rose's proclamation, on a word for word basis. Regardless of such, NBA fans have persisted with the chatter about Russell Westbrook's inability to "play with others."
It's possible that Paul George's decision to sign with OKC was informed by the kinship he forged with Westbrook, and little else. Which in turn, doesn't equate to him falling out favor with Russ on a personal level, but PG like any other MVP-caliber talent is going to put his own legacy, above that of a middling teammate. Westbrook is still an elite player, yet has he given his attitude, approach to the game, the proper reflection it is due. Hard to say?