How a lot are you aware about Paul George? Like, actually know?
The query is a rhetorical one. Many individuals—the media, informal basketball followers, diehard Pacers/Thunder/Clippers followers—know of him as simply an NBA celebrity.
He’s an eight-time All-Star, gained Most Improved in 2013 and has made All-NBA, All-Defensive and All-Rookie Groups all through his 13 years within the League to this point. Lengthy earlier than that, he was recognized for being the best draft decide in Fresno State historical past when he was chosen within the first spherical again in 2010. Then, in 2014, he determined to change issues up by altering his jersey quantity from No. 24 to No. 13, which additionally impressed a brand new nickname: PG-13. He purchased all his outdated jerseys and donated them to his highschool.
“The entire thing behind PG-13 is simply coming into my very own,” he instructed Vigilant Sports activities again then. “I really feel like I’m at that stage the place I’m able to embrace all the pieces that comes with being one of many younger stars on this League. Everybody is aware of PG-13 is expounded to tv, so the entire thing is with the ability to benefit from the present and being enjoyable to observe.”
In Indiana, PG turned heads. By his third season, he’d emerged because the Pacers’ go-to choice, and helped make them the Japanese Convention Finals in back-to-back seasons from 2012-14. After seven years in Indy and a number of events the place he battled via harm—together with a compound fracture in his leg, which he suffered in the course of the offseason in 2014 that triggered him to overlook a majority of the upcoming common season—he was traded to the OKC Thunder in 2017. He tried to redefine himself once more, this time as “Playoff P,” a nickname which he gave himself that season, proper earlier than the Thunder performed the Jazz within the first spherical. When requested about guarding then-rookie Donovan Mitchell, he clarified to ESPN that “Playoff P” is “a enjoyable man to observe. It’s an out-of-body particular person the place I simply lock in and put myself in a unique zone.”
Then, in 2020, Sport 7 towards the Nuggets occurred. Playoff P solely scored 10 factors on 25 p.c taking pictures and went scoreless within the fourth. The web ruthlessly determined “Pandemic P” was a extra becoming title for the star’s efficiency on the time. Since then, George has missed in depth time on account of harm, together with the top of the 2022-23 common season due to a knee harm.
However that was then, and that is now. At 33 years outdated, George has seen the highs and the lows of being an expert athlete—the accidents, the losses and the wins. Whereas the opinions of others may also help shift and form narratives, what issues most is how athletes view themselves. And that’s what we went out to California in late-August to search out out: Who precisely is Paul George?
“I believe I’m a reasonably humorous particular person, however I’m additionally a really introverted particular person,” George tells us. “I sort of hold to myself and I believe that’s why folks don’t, or haven’t discovered a lot about me via my time via the NBA. However I’m really a reasonably enjoyable, outgoing particular person. Like to snigger, like to joke. And, I imply, I’m unsure if that can shock many individuals however for the those that don’t actually know me, it may be shocking. A minimum of that’s what it appears once we learn feedback [saying], He’s really humorous. He’s really a superb dude. So, I believe the extra I simply present [my] character and present who I’m, [the] extra folks have simply gravitated towards it.”
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The person himself is sitting in a well-lit lounge on the Proactive Sports activities Efficiency, sporting his L.A. Clippers uniform. He was simply coaching and figuring out within the weight room moments prior—the lounge that we’re in proper now could be on the second flooring and appears out onto the coaching facility and courtroom. Down under, we’ve bought a complete photograph shoot arrange, which is the place we’ll shoot George for his third SLAM cowl.
However first, interview time. Initially, PG’s demeanor is extra low-key because the cameras begin rolling. He’s not overly energetic or giving monotone solutions, with “actually” being one of many first phrases he makes use of when requested how his summer time has been going. It’s a superb signal that, hopefully, he’ll hold it actual for the remainder of the dialog. In spite of everything, he’s finished numerous interviews and journal covers, together with with us, earlier than, and has been requested loads of questions on his profession, attending to that championship-level, taking part in alongside Kawhi Leonard…
Should you hear—actually, really hear—to what he has to say, you’ll begin to perceive that there’s much more to Paul George. He’s introverted, sure, however he has additionally been discovering one other facet of himself. He’s inventive, and fairly introspective and trustworthy: whereas the subsequent era of standouts—Brandon Miller, Kiyan Anthony—think about him their GOAT, his personal measurement of success comes down to 1 tangible factor: profitable a championship.
When he talked about on his Twitch livestream not too long ago that he absolutely intends to be on his “bully shit” this upcoming season, that wasn’t a menace. It was a promise.
Right here, Paul George elaborates extra on what we are able to count on from him this season, his method to his offseason coaching and the way he’s found his voice—and himself—on the courtroom, within the podcast studio and in every single place in between.
SLAM: How are you doing? How has the summer time been and what have you ever been as much as apart from coaching?
PAUL GEORGE: Good. Truthfully, [it’s] summertime, being a father, it’s principally household time. When the season’s finished, children are out of faculty. [It’s a] nice alternative to sort of simply be at house with the household, be with my spouse, my children. However that’s about it. Other than that I’m coaching and, you understand, I’m taking my regular summer time journeys to Europe and trip. However exterior of that, [I’m] placing one foot ahead and preparing for the subsequent season.
SLAM: The place in Europe did you go to?
PG: I used to be out in Serbia, the place my spouse is from. I used to be in Montenegro and Greece.
SLAM: What’s it prefer to be house and capable of absolutely deal with the fam? Are you able to describe the way you go about transitioning from the season into summer time?
PG: It’s nice having the children house full-time, conserving them lively [and] with the ability to take them to their camps, take them to their practices, their hobbies. It’s simply nice to be just a little bit extra hands-on and you actually discover what their pursuits are when you’re with them for longer durations.
So it’s been enjoyable—it’s been enjoyable because the season has been finished to rekindle that. You get so riled up and caught up with how the season goes that you simply are inclined to lose out on stuff, simply being on the highway and touring a lot. In order that’s actually the good half about having these summers.
SLAM: You’ve talked about they’re fairly inventive—have been you a similar method as a child rising up?
PG: Yeah, I used to be. I believe that’s why the bond between my oldest and myself is so robust, as a result of I used to be the identical method. My creativeness was very robust. I can draw, create, shade—you title it. If I can consider it, I may draw it. So I used to be fairly good. I wasn’t the best at drawing, not a portraits particular person, however I may draw fairly good as a child. I see a whole lot of me [in] her.
SLAM: That’s hearth. When it comes to your offseason exercises and coaching, did you begin moving into it instantly after the season ended?
PG: I took, like, two weeks off simply because I used to be rehabbing. When the season ended, [I had] a nasty leg harm. And when the season was over, there was no level clearly for me to be in one of the best form attainable. So I took two weeks off to sort of get away from basketball, get away from the power, get away from coaching. I assumed that simply helped me method after I went again to coaching loads higher. It helped my psychological, it helped my focus and that’s in regards to the norm for me at this level in my profession—take about two weeks away, go journey, simply get out, get away after which I’ll come again and go hit it onerous once more.
SLAM: Has that been your method previously? To take time away?
PG: Yeah, I might say most likely the final couple years. Earlier than then I used to, when the season was finished, I [would] be proper again within the gymnasium the subsequent day. However now as I’ve gotten older, I sort of get pleasure from splitting the 2—being in season-mode after which being in offseason-mode. The youthful
me didn’t have a household or children, so the older me sort of is aware of to separate that, get pleasure from household time and get after it after I’m prepared.
SLAM: Trying again, how would you describe your youthful self, particularly while you first got here into the League.
PG: My youthful self was simply hungry. He was passionate, he had simply the warrior mentality. And fearless. I nonetheless have a few of these qualities, however it’s undoubtedly stronger as a youngin’ coming into the League. Now I might say my older self is just a little bit extra targeted, realizing what I need and how you can method it, how you can get there. Now it’s simply [about] making an attempt to remain wholesome. That’s the most important key.
However yeah, that’s the separation between myself—the place I’m at now and the youthful me. I simply had that keenness to need to be one of the best and destroy any and all the pieces in entrance of me.
SLAM: What have you ever been specializing in particularly this offseason in your coaching? What are your objectives going into subsequent season?
PG: Simply specializing in the mentality. For me, it’s simply the mentality. I work extraordinarily onerous on enhancing and getting higher, however for me, it’s simply the mentality—going again to having that 22, 23-year-old mentality at 33 of, each time I’m on the ground, I’m there to dominate and simply be one of the best participant on the ground always. In order that’s the mentality I’m going into it [with]. That’s how I’m approaching this summer time. On the finish of the day, I really like the place I’ll end as a result of if I’ve that mentality, I do know I’m giving it all the pieces I’ve, and I can stay with these outcomes.
SLAM: Is that what you meant while you stated on that Twitch livestream that you simply’re going to be in your “bully shit” this season?
PG: 100%. 100%. That’s precisely what I meant. I gotta maintain myself accountable to that… Each night time I’m on the ground, I’m there to dominate. Whether or not it’s [being] extra bodily, or going proper at whoever I gotta go at, you’re gonna really feel me. I’m having that method of each time I’m on the ground, I’m there to dominate and destroy you.
SLAM: Whenever you stated that in your livestream, what pushed you to that time? Did you are feeling prefer it was one thing that wanted to be stated? Was that one thing that was going via your head already?
PG: Yeah, I imply, it was simply a whole lot of pointless discuss going across the League of, you understand, guys feeling themselves and directing feedback towards me that haven’t finished something as nicely. You understand, that is the final couple years of my profession, so it’s all about legacy for me as nicely. And that’s simply my method—I bought to complete robust and return to loving the sport and loving to dominate. And once more, that’s simply how I bought to method it. [If] I come up brief, that’s on me. However that’s how I gotta method it.
SLAM: You used the phrases “return to loving the sport and loving to dominate.” Was there a time while you didn’t essentially really feel that method?
PG: Simply via accidents, you doubt your self. At instances, you doubt what you’re capable of do. However at this level—I had a fluke harm to finish the remainder of my season final yr—however up till that time, I used to be beginning to get stronger, I used to be beginning to really feel higher, issues that I used to be having midseason have been beginning to go away. And that was one of the best I used to be feeling. And so, I used to be coming into my stride, able to get again into that. However for a stretch, I didn’t really feel [like] myself simply because accidents and stuff was aching and popping up. However I really feel like I’ve been beginning to handle that each summer time, little by little, to the place I’m in an important place proper now.
SLAM: What does Paul George being on his “bully shit” seem like?
PG: Truthfully [laughs]…I can’t let you know what that appears like. I’ve been a reasonably constant scorer, been a high-level participant for a few years. However for me, it’s simply attending to a stage of consistency. And, once more, not backing down and destroying no matter I’ve to [to] get to the place I have to get to. So I believe it’ll be noticeable by the way in which I play this yr.
SLAM: Do you are feeling like there was a time or I suppose a defining second throughout your profession the place you actually felt such as you have been actually in your “bully shit”?
PG: I had that method of guarding everybody robust, of making an attempt to be the primary choice and rating on one of the best participant each night time whereas shutting one of the best participant down each night time. You understand, I simply had a imply mentality after I was youthful. And that was simply how I approached the sport. I believe I fell away just a little bit from that mentality. And so once more, all of it’s simply making an attempt to be again, centered [and] to the place I used to be after I got here into this League.
SLAM: Whenever you have been referring to guys within the League, or on the whole, having issues to say about you, what was operating via your head?
PG: I imply, all people has their proper to say what they need to say. Everybody at this time limit has an opinion. That doesn’t trouble me, however the way in which you go about it, and the way in which you method it, I’m gonna should have one thing to say about the way in which issues are dealt with sooner or later. And that’s simply the place it’s gotten, so, you understand, it’s nearly having—I don’t go off of what I’ve finished, who I’ve been within the League. To me, I view it as: if I’ve gained or if I haven’t gained. And I haven’t gained. Folks inform me on a regular basis, Don’t doubt your self, don’t this, don’t that. I don’t. I do know what I’ve achieved. I do know what I’ve finished on this League. I do know whose ass I’ve busted on this League, who I’ve put what numbers on on this League. That don’t imply nothing if I haven’t gained a championship. Yeah, it’d be an important résumé when it’s all stated and finished. That’s cool. However for me, I measure myself within the success I’ve had within the League—if I get a championship, that’s what it’s all about. So, yeah, the common stats are cool and all, however I bought a much bigger objective of profitable [and] establishing myself as a champion.
SLAM: Have you ever at all times had that customary of success?
PG: Yeah, I imply, coming into the League, early on, the primary couple of years [it was about] establishing myself and simply getting higher and eager to be an All-Star, eager to be on that celebrity stage, wanting to hold a crew and eager to be one of the best defender on the ground. That was sort of [my] particular person objectives. However when you make it to that time, take it a step additional, now that has to imply one thing. Being one of the best participant, being one of the best defender, being on a superb crew—like that each one has to begin to equate to one thing. Now I’m at some extent the place yearly I’m coaching, and that’s the objective—to get a championship. And so if I come up brief, like, nothing else issues that yr. At this level, I failed the yr, I failed the season, if I didn’t win a championship.
SLAM: Let’s get into your podcast. To start out, do you are feeling like this is likely one of the first instances you’ve actually been outspoken when it comes to sharing your personal opinion, speaking to different athletes and analysts?
PG: Yeah, I believe so. As a result of, you understand, for the longest [time], as a younger man, you need to say the fitting stuff, you need to shield the group, you need to shield teammates, you need to shield your self, picture, model, all of that great things, proper? However you lose sight of like, Am I actually answering this the way in which I need to reply it? Am I actually getting off the thought or the concept I actually need to say? And generally after interviews, I’m like, you understand, Fuck, I ought to have stated what I actually wished to say. Or, I ought to have instructed them what actually occurred or the way it actually went. Or, how I actually felt. Now, with my podcast, I can do this. And I believe that’s simply the wonder in it.
SLAM: On that notice, what’s it like doing the interviewing after having been interviewed so many instances? Do you are feeling like you will have a unique perspective of what goes into it?
PG: Yeah, what I discovered doing it’s [that it’s] very therapeutic, as a result of a whole lot of tales that I’ve instructed, or a whole lot of tales that we’ve talked about, have been issues I held on to and haven’t actually [gotten] that out. Whether or not it’s been good moments, dangerous moments, enjoyable instances, dangerous instances, it’s simply been therapeutic to specific sure tales. For instance, the dialog with DeMar [DeRozan] that we had about taking part in one another in highschool, I’ve at all times felt how I felt main as much as that second taking part in him in highschool, however it was nice to listen to how he felt main as much as that second taking part in me in highschool. So conversations like that have been nice to sort of mirror again on and share that second and share that story with any person that I’m fairly good mates with, however we’ve by no means talked about that. And so it was simply nice to return [down] reminiscence lane and decide up on issues that we’ve been via and experiences. As a result of in any other case, you maintain on to sure stuff and [are] weirded out by how you can share or mirror on some issues.
SLAM: What’s the most important factor you’ve discovered about your self, now that you simply’ve gotten into podcasting?
PG: That I’m not simply good at basketball. [laughs]. Nah, I imply, I knew no matter I put my time into I could be profitable in. That’s what sort of particular person I’m: if I lock in on one thing, I work extraordinarily onerous to be good at it. And being within the podcast house is one other notch to reassure that. It’s simply been enjoyable. It’s actually been enjoyable. I by no means in 1,000,000 years would have thought that I might be interviewing different gamers, speaking about tales, being in entrance of a digital camera as a lot as I’m, particularly at this level in my profession. So, you understand, it’s simply been an important curler coaster. And I’m simply having fun with the trip at this level.
SLAM: Did you at all times really feel that method—that you simply’re actually solely considered as Paul George the basketball participant?
PG: Not essentially, however I do suppose folks didn’t know a lot about me. I felt I used to be—everybody thought a sure method, based mostly off of moments I’ve had in basketball, moments on the courtroom, off the courtroom. And that’s the one factor that they’ll pinpoint on me. However really watching me in a podcast setting, getting to speak, attending to snigger, making jokes. I believe folks see me in a unique gentle. And that’s what I admire, that they’ll separate [it, like], Oh he’s completely completely different. I assumed he was method completely different. I had this angle of him, [but] he’s really a cool dude. He’s really humorous. He’s really this, that. Which I’m. I’m simply as regular as anyone else.
There’s undoubtedly an appreciation there for followers for permitting [themselves] to re-introduce themselves to who Paul George is.
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Deyscha “Sway” Smith is an Affiliate Editor at SLAM. Observe her on Instagram/X, @deyschasmith and Tik Tok @deyscha.
Portraits by Atiba Jefferson. Motion photographs through Getty Photographs.
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