Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 reasons keeping Paul George was so crucial

3. Culture win

When Thunder general manager Sam Presti pulled the trigger on the trade that brought George to OKC, it was with no assurance he’d re-sign when the time came, and with that came a risk for the organization.

If PG were to leave, OKC would have traded two young assets in Victor Oladipo and Domantis Sabonis for nothing, forced to then re-group and try to build a team worthy of title contention, again. It would’ve been another case of a small-market team losing its star to a bigger market.

George coming back to the Thunder speaks volumes to the culture that Presti and the rest of the team have built down in Oklahoma City.

https://twitter.com/MarkJonesESPN/status/1013273742389252097

Props should also be given to Russell Westbrook, who clearly worked hard to cultivate a relationship with his new teammate, one that clearly wound up paying off.

Getting George to spurn his hometown Lakers to come back to a small-market franchise like the Thunder should pose as a statement for the rest of the NBA.

OKC may not have the glitz and glamor of other cities, but it’s doing something right, and George’s decision is as clear an indicator as one needs.