"Steve Ballmer don’t even like Paul George anymore"- Clippers fans in stitches as X user claims team owner liked troll post on former star 

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer seems to have taken offense over former star Paul George's free agency departure. George has been trolled heavily by Clippers fans online since he left and Ballmer is apparently entertaining it. The team's billionaire owner allegedly liked a post from a Clippers fan mocking George.

The X (formerly Twitter) user captioned the post::

"Every 5 likes on this post and I’ll name a player better than Paul George"

The user later shared a screenshot of his notifications in which Ballmer's name emerged as one of the people who had liked the tweet.

"Steve Ballmer don't even like Paul George anymore," the user wrote.

More hilarious reactions followed on that tweet as one fan wrote:

"Steve Ballmer knows ball"

"Don’t put him on blast likes not supposed to be public but this is hilarious," another added.

Comments on Ballmer liking the tweet

George left for the Philadelphia 76ers this summer after negotiations with the LA Clippers over a new deal stalled. LA was unwilling to offer him a max deal, while the Sixers, who had the cap space, were ready to sign him on a four-year, $212 million contract.

Paul George's tenure with the Clippers finished without a ring. The team's best result was a conference finals appearance in 2021, with him leading the crew. George's injury issues plagued his stint with the franchise, as they repeatedly fell short of their championship aspirations.

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Paul George felt 'disrespected' by Clippers in negotiations

Paul George shared the inside story about his negotiations with the LA Clippers on July 8 on his podcast. According to the All-Star forward, the Clippers' first offer to him was a two-year, $60 million deal, $157 million less than where his demands were at.

"As it played out though, like the first initial deal was I thought, kinda disrespectful," George said. "First initial deal was like two years, 60 (million)."

LA made slight increments in its updated offers, but none matched George's demands. The parties hit the breaking point after George demanded a $150 million three-year deal with a no-trade clause or a four-year $212 million contract, and the Clippers refused both offers.

Despite the team's shortcomings in his five-year stint alongside Kawhi Leonard, Paul George felt his 2023-24 season exploits warranted a max deal. He played a Clippers career-high 74 games, putting up 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists, shooting on a 47/41/91 clip.

George failed to translate his performance into the postseason, averaging a measly 19.5 ppg, shooting 41.1%. The Clippers lost in six games to the Mavericks in the first round. George was the first option, with Kawhi Leonard being in and out of the rotation citing injuries.