If you’re looking for a key difference in today’s NBA versus the league from yesteryear, look no further than this quote from Paul George. After last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, that last thing you’d think to come out of Paul George’s mouth is that he wants to work with LeBron.
But George isn’t alone. A few months after the Heat beat the Thunder in the Finals a few years ago, where was Kevin Duant? In the gym with LeBron. It’s the age we live in. It is what it is.
“It would be great to be able to pick his brain, pick his mind and just talk about the game because I think he’s a player that can help me get to the next level and continue to keep going to the next level,” George told Basketball Insiders. “I wish some day we have that relationship where he is someone I can talk to—not during the season because I’m too competitive during the season—but maybe in the summertime….
“He’s someone that motivates me,” said George, who is averaging 22.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game. “This league is all about guys being competitive and competing. And don’t get me wrong, every time I’m matched up with him I’m going to try to get the best out of him and come out as the best player of that game. But at the same time, he’s been someone that I looked up to. He’s someone I’m going to continue to look up to because at the end of the day, the position I want to be in is where he’s at.”
H/T: Basketball Insiders
