"No, you're not a 25-point scorer" - Larry Bird recalls getting brutally honest with Paul George about his game

“No, you’re not a 25-point scorer” – Larry Bird recalls getting brutally honest with Paul George about his game originally appeared on Basketball Network.

One aspect of Larry Bird‘s greatness that he doesn’t get much credit for was his ability to maximize his players’ full potential. In fact, he was very honest with Paul George about how he viewed his game during his time as Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations.

Unlike other NBA team executives, Bird played an active role in guiding the players. He maintained open communication with them, especially with George. In the process, “PG-13” also got comfortable sharing his views and opinions directly with Bird.

At one point, George even let Bird know his plan to score more points. As expected, he got a quick and candid response from his boss.

“Paul’s an exceptional player. He plays both sides of the ball,” Bird told Pacers.com in 2017. “I remember a few years ago, he said, ‘I think I need to score 25 this year.’ I said, ‘No, you’re not a 25-point scorer.’ He scores a lot of points when he gets to the line a lot. I think Paul can be a 20-, 22-point scorer and still get it done on the defensive end. That makes him be a complete player.”

“If he scores 26 and his man gets 22, he’s not as effective – then he’s not the player everyone thinks he is,” he explained. “He’s an exceptional two-way player.”

Bird wanted PG-13 to learn something important about leadership

Bird had always believed in George’s qualities as a player. He was the one who drafted him, as he was convinced George had the skill set to become an all-around player and make use of his length as an advantage.

It didn’t take long before George proved Bird right. In just his third season with the Pacers, “PG-13” was already an All-Star and an All-Defensive Team member. Apart from the game, Larry Legend also recognized George’s ability to lead a team.

“Guys come into this league and say, ‘I want my own team one of these days,’ and then sometimes they get it and look around and say, ‘I don’t know about this.’ It’s a little harder than it really looks. It’s demanding,” Bird pointed out.

“Paul’s going to be fine in any situation,” he assessed. “But this is a little different. This is his team.”

Why George and Bird’s working relationship deteriorated

Bird and George’s relationship was rooted in honesty and mutual respect. In fact, they were so honest about their thoughts on one another that they also had no issues sharing it to the public.

Admittedly, George once did not appreciate Bird’s remarks about him during a media scrum. At the time, the Pacers chief was eager to move George to the power forward position. For Bird, “PG-13” wouldn’t have a problem switching positions as he could play different roles on the court.

While George was pleased with Bird’s acknowledgement of his versatility as a player, he wasn’t confident about playing power forward and had no interest in the idea. The conflict of interest itself was already stressful for George. However, he felt that Bird made the situation worse by publicly putting it down.

“It was starting a crack in our relationship ’cause I came back and [then Pacers president of basketball operations] Larry [Bird] made a comment of, ‘Paul doesn’t get to make decisions around here,'” George once confided.

“When I wanted to come back as a [small forward]. I’m a wing, I’m one of the best two-way players in my position, and I’m just coming back from breaking my leg, and you gonna tell me I got to play the [power forward]?”

“I think that’s where a fraction started with the organization,” George further divulged. “It’s not like I wanted to make decisions, I thought I’m coming back to play my position … I love Larry; it’s not that me and him don’t have a relationship… He took me under his wings, gave me a lot of gems. But it was definitely a pivot from that point forward.”

Bird and George’s run with the Pacers came to an end

Despite their discord, Bird and George maintained their respect for each other. They managed to coexist professionally and George still played his natural position.

In 2017, the Pacers encountered a very challenging situation. George only had one year left in his contract and his issue with the front office wasn’t helping. The Pacers caught wind that the All-Star forward would prefer to join the Los Angeles Lakers as soon as he becomes a free agent after the following season.

That same year, Bird decided to resign from his position as a Pacers executive. Bird’s sudden departure was critical for the Pacers as he was one of, if not the only one, who would have the last say on George’s free agency situation.

Shortly after Bird left the front office, the Pacers were prompted to trade George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.

In OKC, George finally became the type of scorer he wanted to be with the Pacers. In his second season with the Thunder, Paul averaged a career-best 28 points per game and finished the campaign as an MVP candidate.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.

“No, you’re not a 25-point scorer” – Larry Bird recalls getting brutally honest with Paul George about his game

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