The biggest story surrounding the Thunder at the beginning of the offseason was whether Paul George was going to return to Oklahoma City or go to the Los Angeles Lakers.

George ultimately signed a four-year deal worth $137 million to return to the Thunder at the beginning of free agency and did not even sit down with the Lakers for a meeting.

Something that was interesting during Thunder media day was how George credited starting his career in a small market with being able to better appreciate the Oklahoma community.

“Well, I think me starting off in a small market helped with feeling what small markets bring as far as a community standpoint. It was a great start to be in Indy for that feeling. And then again, the city being behind this team, the team being behind the community, it was just hand in hand, and then just being a part of this team, it just felt right.”

Let’s not forget that signing with the Lakers would have meant for the Palmdale native. He would have had the opportunity to play in front of his friends and family and he could have been teammates with LeBron James.

Not only is LeBron arguably the greatest NBA player of all time and that is appealing in itself, but George has also lost five playoff series to him with two of those coming in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Teaming up with someone that has ended that many playoff runs to try and stop arguably the greatest team ever assembled in the Warriors could sound intriguing at the very least.

Being in the second largest market in the country with one of the most popular athletes in the world probably could have led to more endorsements and off the court opportunities for George, too.

George chose Oklahoma instead and that’s a true testament to the team, coaching staff, front office, and of course, the community.

While there are many factors that come into play for a player’s decision in free agency, it makes it a lot easier to choose a team that has a great community that shows support.