It’s taken some time, but Paul George and the Oklahoma City Thunder are playing much more cohesive basketball. George has had to alter his game while playing with the team’s two other stars, Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook, and it's been a process.

As George explained to ESPN’s Royce Young, playing alongside an athletic freak like Westbrook needed him to change some things physically.

“I definitely felt I was heavy, I felt I wasn’t moving as well. To run with Russ, you have to be in some good shape,” George said. “I found that out early. I changed my diet, [did] a little more cardio. I’m able to move. I’m able to slide my feet defensively and get back to bringing that defense.”

George has also predictably taken a backseat offensively this season while playing with Westbrook. But he has had no negative reactions to that change and has encouraged Westbrook to continue playing his style of basketball if that’s what it takes to bring team success.

That’s why George has preached to Westbrook, on multiple occasions: Don’t worry about me; you just do you and it’ll work out for all of us. “You’ve gotta let Russ go. He’s a talent that is a mismatch, night in and night out. He’s a special player,” George said. “I’ve never been on a team where a guy is that elite amongst his opponents, in his matchup. So you love the fact he’s fearless, that he’s a competitor. You want to play with guys like that.”

George is a unique superstar in that he doesn’t need the ball in his hands at all times in order to be effective. He is willing to play more off the ball offensively, while his elite defense can incredibly impactful.

More importantly, though, his ego isn’t such that he demands to be “the man.” He’s more than willing to defer to Westbrook and let him have the spotlight. That selflessness can't be understated in terms of how the two have managed to co-exist this season.