Exparel<\/a>, a non-opioid option used as part of postsurgical pain management for certain procedures.. \u201cI\u2019m always looking for ways to be smarter with my training, recovery, and overall preparation.\u201d<\/p>\nThe biggest goal now is availability. The George has missed a combined 86 regular-season games the past two seasons due to injuries and suspension. He still has expectations for how he wants to perform individually, but the ability to consistently contribute has taken on greater importance.<\/p>\n
The first half of his career was spent on proving himself and playing through minor injuries. Even with hard workouts, youthful thinking will make you assume the body will bounce back and you\u2019ll be able to do the same the following day.<\/p>\n
Experience eventually teaches a different lesson.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still have high expectations for how I play, but the goal is to be able to consistently contribute to the team and be at my best when the games matter most,\u201d George says.<\/p>\n
George No Longer Tries To Win Every Workout<\/p>\n
Like many young athletes, there was a time when George would spend extended hours on the basketball court because the belief was that more work translated to improvement.<\/p>\n
Those days are behind him. This isn\u2019t an indictment on the commitment to the game he loves. It\u2019s solely because his philosophy of discipline has evolved.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand more about focusing on the quality of the work and what I want to achieve,\u201d George says. \u201cAn hour of really focused work can be more valuable than spending three hours beating up your body.\u201d<\/p>\n
Training now has to account for everything. Skill work is still important. Strength and conditioning are necessities. But so is mobility, nutrition, sleep, and the recovery necessary to make the next training session as productive as the last one.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest shift has been understanding that there\u2019s no single focus that carries you through a season,\u201d he says. \u201cI look at my whole day as part of training, including my nutrition, hydration, and sleep habits.\u201d<\/p>\n
That mindset has shifted how a successful day is measured. There are days when a demanding workout is the right decision. Other days, it\u2019s treatment or mobility. Then there are those days where rest and recovery are the answer. George is fully versed in those distinctions.<\/p>\n
All of these decisions are made with the bigger picture in mind, and having to learn lessons the hard way.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve learned that longevity comes from making smart decisions consistently, not trying to win every single day,\u201d George said.<\/p>\n
The Little Things Become Big Over 82 Games<\/p>\n
Most athletes have an understanding of the importance of hydration, sleep, nutrition, and mobility work. There\u2019s nothing glamorous about them at all. But these are the necessary and consistent habits that help sustain productivity and health over the course of an 82-game season.<\/p>\n
Recovery used to be something George thought about when his body began hurting. Now, it\u2019s built into his day-to-day routine.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve become much more proactive about taking care of my body, asking questions, and staying informed about my health and recovery options,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
That approach is particularly important for a player joining a team with expectations that extend beyond the regular season. An NBA season can become a long exercise in borrowing from the future.<\/p>\n
Push too hard to start the season without proper managing of the workload, and those dividends can show up right when other teams are beginning to hit their stride.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve learned that every decision you make in the fall can affect how you feel in the spring,\u201d he says. \u201cThe competitor in me wants to be fully invested every single night, but part of training is understanding that maintaining your body over an 82-game season takes discipline.\u201d<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t about saving himself. It\u2019s making sure the work he puts into the early part of the season allows him to give more later.<\/p>\n
![\"NBA](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/NBA-Player-for-the-Boston-Celtics-Paul-George-performing-stretches.jpg\")
Pacira Bio Sciences, Inc., as part of Paul’s partnership with EXPAREL\u00ae
\nInjuries Taught George to Become an Advocate for His Own Body<\/p>\n
Typically, you don\u2019t see athletes play as long as George without learning their way around medical rooms. Injuries, followed by subsequent surgical procedures, have given him the perspective and experience of the recovery process from nearly every angle.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest lessons has been understanding that even having a world-class medical team should pardon an athlete from the conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s still your body,\u201d George says. \u201cI\u2019ve learned to ask more questions: What should I expect? What are my options? What does the first day after surgery look like? What does the first week look like? How are we going to manage my pain? What does the progression back look like?\u201d<\/p>\n
As part of a recent postsurgical pain-management plan, George says his doctors discussed multiple options with him, including Exparel. His physicians discussed the option with him as a one-time, non-opioid injection administered during a procedure to help manage postsurgical pain during the first few days afterward.<\/p>\n
George was clear in stressing that it is not appropriate for every procedure and that individual patients should discuss their options with their doctors. For George, it\u2019s all about being informed before the recovery process begins.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was younger, I might have thought, \u2018I\u2019ll deal with managing the pain when it happens,’\u201d he says. \u201cBut now, I want to know the plan and what I can do to put myself in the best position for postsurgical recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sentiment fits with everything else George has learned about longevity. Prepare before the problem, listen before the body forces you to, and understand that patience is every bit a part of discipline as pushing harder.<\/p>\n
If George could impart that lesson back to the younger version of himself, he already has an understanding of what he would say. It\u2019s the same message he imparts now as the OG in the locker room.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re 25, you think you\u2019re always going to feel 25,\u201d he says. \u201cI would tell that version of myself to put the same discipline into sleep, mobility, nutrition, and listening to his body that he puts into making shots.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe small health decisions you make early on have a way of paying off years down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Paul George is entering his 17th season in the NBA. Given that experience, he knows the difference between…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":833193,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3766],"tags":[12691,98762,98763,98764,98765,98766,3713,7,45,75,3798,46,5598,3042,6,66,83,98767,98768],"class_list":["post-833192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boston-celtics","tag-athlete","tag-athlete-advice","tag-athlete-interview","tag-athlete-news","tag-athlete-profile","tag-athlete-tips","tag-athletes","tag-basketball","tag-boston","tag-boston-celtics","tag-bostonceltics","tag-celtics","tag-interview","tag-interviews","tag-nba","tag-sports","tag-sports-news","tag-sports-tips","tag-sports-training"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/117253681251368387","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/833192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=833192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/833192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/833193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=833192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=833192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=833192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"NBA](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/NBA-Player-Paul-George-with-the-Boston-Celtics-under-the-basketball-net.jpg\")
Pacira Bio Sciences, Inc., as part of Paul’s partnership with EXPAREL\u00ae