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People were surprised when Paul George opted to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was, after all, a small market team led by a seemingly out of control yet extremely athletic Russell Westbrook. Some deemed it impossible for George to co-exist with him And when George re-signed to a reported four-year, $137 million contract, the 28-year-old revealed that some people thought he'd never be an All-Star again.
“When I got traded here, it was almost people thought it was going to be the end of me being an All-Star,” George said per Royce Young of ESPN.
George's comments come in after confirmation that he'll be a starter for the Western Conference All-Star team together with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and James Harden. George had a weighted score of 4.0 in the Western frontcourt. This is the third time in his career that he's been named as a starter.
And a look at what he's done this season is proof that he deserves it. He's logging in 27.0 points per game, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 steals — all of which are career-highs. More than his individual accolades, George reverted back to what he has achieved with his team:
“The growth of this team, my comfort level, being around these guys — it's an accomplishment we all kind of share. I'm the one going as of now — Russ will be with me — but it's [something] I couldn't get it without playing with this group here.”
Paul George on All-Star: "The growth of this team, my comfort level, being around these guys — it's an accomplishment we all kind of share. I'm the one going as of now — Russ will be with me — but it's [something] I couldn't get it without playing with this group here."
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) January 25, 2019
Indeed, George took the criticism and turned it into fuel to spark his fire. He's not just an All-Star, but he's also having his best season so far, and more importantly, he's helping his team win.
