Paul George apparently lit a fire under the Los Angeles Lakers before their championship campaign even began.
During last season's media day, the Los Angeles Clippers star said he and Kawhi Leonard were the NBA's top duo, which rubbed many Lakers the wrong way, including veteran forward Jared Dudley.
"We hear some of those guys talking about how they're the team to beat in L.A.," Dudley wrote in his new book, "Inside the NBA Bubble: A Championship Season under Quarantine," according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "It's fine if Kawhi (Leonard) says stuff like that. He's defending a championship. We don't trip if someone like Patrick Beverley is talking trash; that's how he feeds his family. We get it. We respect the hustle.
"But we think it's disrespectful for Paul George, who hasn't won, to put himself on the level of (LeBron James) and (Anthony Davis). This motivates us."
Dudley clarified the passage from his book following Wednesday's team practice, saying he was speaking on how the Lakers interpreted George's preseason comments rather than the question he answered.
"Anyone can say anything," Dudley told reporters. "It's what we use as motivation. And sometimes, if ever you remember Michael Jordan, all the certain stuff that he used as motivation for him. It wasn't like they were wrong. It's what I view."
The two teams split their four regular-season meetings last year but never squared off during the playoffs, as the Clippers were eliminated in the second round.
