LOS ANGELES – Paul George has been motivated and fueled all season by “all the noise” around him, and earning an All-Star spot is another “milestone” in his bounce-back season, he said.
The LA Clippers guard was named one of the All-Star reserves selected at the Western Conference on Tuesday and joined teammate Kawhi Leonard, who had previously been selected as a starter in the Western Conference pool.
“With all the noise, everything that happens, it motivates you,” George said of all the criticism he has heard since the Clippers collapse in the second round of the postseason. “You dig deep, and you’d be amazed at what comes out. To be honest, I just used everything as motivation, which fed all of that into this year.
[All-Star] is a good milestone, the start of how my season is going. But sure [not] where I want it to end. So I have a lot more work to do. “
George, who hit his first five 3-point shots before finishing with 30 points in the Clippers’ 135-116 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, will make his seventh All-Star appearance.
However, George joined a chorus of NBA stars who have voiced concerns about an All-Star Game being held in the midst of a pandemic this year.
“I’m just not a fan of it when all is going on,” said George. “I think it’s just smart [to not hold one]… I understand that we have a great competition; I’m not discrediting that. But I don’t think – in the midst of a pandemic – it’s something to be overcome. “
George also said he has been fined this season for a health and safety protocol precaution.
“Mostly, [for] personal reasons, I was fined for spending time with a teammate, or for having a teammate, and yet we have this All-Star game, ”explained George. So again, I have personal reasons why I disagree with the game. [being held]
George said he did not want to elaborate on the fine, but said he will play in the All-Star Game on March 7 in Atlanta.
George came in on Tuesday night averaging 24.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists to deal with a career-high 51.1% firing rate, including 47.1% from behind the 3-point bow.
The shooting guard was not an All-Star last season after failing to play in the Clippers’ first 11 games as he got back into action after off-season shoulder surgery. Last postseason, George endured a shootout in the first round of the playoffs, before going 4-for-16 and scoring 10 points in a Game 7 loss to the Denver Nuggets, while the Clippers scored a 3-1- series lead blew the second round.
George has said he has heard more ‘chirps’ this season from opponents who ‘just lived in the past’. He is motivated to prove his doubters wrong.
“He’s always been an All-Star, you know, in my eyes,” said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. “He’s one of the best two-way players in our league; you know he’s been for a while.”
‘He deserves it. And the kind of year he’s having, you know, this year, it just shows the hard work he’s put in over the summer to get back to this point. ‘