LeBron James said he’s not interested in an elaborate free agent pitch when he hits the market this summer, but that doesn’t mean other big names on the market don’t want the pomp and circumstance that comes with contract courtship.
Paul George is the other big target for many teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers. Like James, George also has to opt out of his player option to hit the market, but both of those things are widely expected to happen. And while George has apparently taken a shine to Oklahoma City thanks to his year on the Thunder, the LA native is considered to be a big target for the Lakers. That means a lot of planning for their official pitch to the All-Star whenever the team is finally able to sit down with him.
These presentations can seem absurdly complicated from afar. Remember, for example, the wild pitch Blake Griffin got from the Clippers last summer Well, he’s a member of the Detroit Pistons now. Times change, I guess, but the point is that teams put a lot of time and resources into getting these things right.
And apparently part of the Lakers’ pitch to Paul George has seen the light of day before it could get to George himself. SI.com’s Robin Lundberg apparently got a hold of leaked voiceover copy, which the site published on Monday. The whole voiceover is on SI.com but the pitch, entitled “Two Dreams,” focuses on the appeal of playing for George’s hometown team.
When you were just a kid
In your room
Dreaming from PalmdaleWe were dreaming too.
While you dreamt, we built – built for your arrival
It’s a flattering sentiment, that the Lakers were rebuilding themselves just for Paul George to win a championship. According to Sports Illustrated the copy was meant to be read by someone “less Morgan Freeman/Denzel Washington, and more Jamie Foxx,” though it’s unclear if those people are supposed to read the copy or just someone hired with a similar voice.
Either way, it’s just part of what will be an elaborate showing for the Lakers once they make their official pitch. And since this got out early, perhaps the presentation will be reworked a bit, but the courtship will be intense and maybe a bit cheesy. A lot of these pitches are. If the Lakers do get George to sign, though, they better hope he sticks around town longer than Griffin did.
