LONG BEFORE THE NBA bubble or Playoff P, before the side of the backboard shot or "All the Smoke" thrown at former coach Doc Rivers, the conversations that would reshape Paul George and the LA Clippers this season were taking place in Chauncey Billups' man cave in Denver.
Billups was still in his first year as the team broadcaster. Tyronn Lue was Rivers' lead assistant. And like so many Americans during the early days of the pandemic, they'd picked a group of friends to pod up with until a better understanding of when the season -- and society overall -- could resume.