Once one develops a reputation in the NBA, it’s hard to shake it. With the way social media is and how everybody talks and has an opinion, it can almost be sort of like a “mob mentality” at times when everybody just loads up and piles on one narrative.
That has been the case for Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George. The 9-time All-Star, and probably future Hall of Famer, has had to battle through narratives his entire career. From people criticizing him for his departures from the Indiana Pacers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and even the Los Angeles Clippers to the comments he made about Damian Lillard’s shot to eliminate the Thunder in 2019, George has heard it all.
In a recent appearance on “The Pivot” podcast, George was asked by former NFL linebacker Channing Crowder if there are any false narratives he wants to address. George then stated this:
Just everything. To be honest, the stories that have gone on in the league that I make excuses or I copped out in Indiana or I copped out in Oklahoma, like, none of that (expletive)—I wanted to be in Indy. That didn’t work out. Oklahoma, I wanted to be in Oklahoma. It wasn’t up to me. People don’t know. It wasn’t up to me. I thought I signed there, be here four years, certain—let’s just say what it is. Obviously, Russ (Russell Westbrook) been in Oklahoma for 10-plus years at this time. That’s his home. I understand when it’s time to up and leave. You wanna go somewhere else. You wanna see somewhere else. That got back to me that Russ wanna leave. I’m not about to stay in Oklahoma by myself. You know what I mean? But people think I’m the one that originated to get out and blow that team up. Like, nah. I’m not gonna stay in Oklahoma by myself. Like, Russ wanna go. That’s cool. I got no problem with that, but now, I gotta figure out what’s best for me in this situation so that’s how I got out of Oklahoma.
I just think I spoke on the injuries. People think ‘Oh, it’s production. He don’t perform in the playoffs.’ When have I not performed? Only time I haven’t performed was when I physically wasn’t capable, but I always gave my team everything I had. That situation. The Dame situation. People think ‘Oh, he’s salty. He’s this.’ Yeah, I’ve grown enough to admit. Yeah! I was mad. I’m man enough to admit that I was mad, but I should’ve first said shoutout and congratulated Dame for that shot and then gave my opinion on what that shot was. The bubble situation. People ‘Oh he hit the side of the backboard’. I done seen many (expletives) hit the side of the backboard. I just think everybody for whatever reason, I was a scapegoat on a lot of situations. I don’t think people understand my point of view, that’s why the whole podcast was I wanted to speak my mind and clarify and speak my mind and give my opinions and hear straight from the source, but I think a lot of stuff people just misunderstood about me.
People are going to have an opinion or some type of criticism regardless of one’s stature or success in the league or in life. That’s just the nature of it all. George doesn’t have to answer to anybody. All he has to do at this moment in time is get his body ready for the 2025-26 season as he and the Sixers look to bounce back from a miserable 2024-25 season.