Paul George blames recent absence on having too much caffeine before game

In an NBA season that has been full of missed games for unusual reasons, Paul George may have earned the distinction of the most bizarre one yet.

The LA Clippers star was a late scratch for Thursday’s game against the Washington Wizards with that the team called “dizziness.” Speaking with reporters on Sunday, George revealed the culprit for his sudden ailment.

“A lesson learned. I had too much caffeine,” said George, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “I think it was too much caffeine at that time. It made me real jittery and sped me up. A lesson learned on that situation: never have too much caffeine too close on back-to-back [games].”

While it is unclear if George enjoyed a leisurely macchiato before the game or downed an entire can of Red Bull, his absence was a costly one regardless. The Clippers very narrowly lost to the Wizards by the final of 119-117. That dropped them to fourth in the West, whereas a win would have put them third on the cusp of second heading into the All-Star break.

George’s caffeine-related absence might seem like a first. But he is actually not the first professional athlete to fall victim to its entrancing allure.