Paul George enters the new NBA season with something to prove … to absolutely nobody.
The LA Clippers star spoke with reporters this week and delivered a vulgar message to all of his haters.
“It’s just an approach where I don’t give a F,” said George, per Andrew Greif of the LA Times. “I don’t give a s—. That’s just how I attack the court now. Like I said, I don’t need validation. I’m my worst critic, and that’s the only thing that matters — the only thing that matters to me.
“I’ve done a good job of that in my career up to that point of not allowing outside noise to affect me. so that’s really where the page turned,” George went on. “The corner turned for me was, I don’t care what anyone else has to say. Like, 90 percent of the people who are critiquing me can’t do what I do. It’s just funny that someone can call someone else out of what they do, what their profession is, and people buy into that.”
The seven-time All-Star George has been the target of much public criticism in recent years, especially overused jokes about his supposed shortcomings in the playoffs. But the man that they clown as “Playoff P” or “Pandemic P” shut up the trolls last postseason with his gutsy performance during star teammate Kawhi Leonard’s injury absence. George put the Clippers on his back, logging huge minutes and taking on a massive scoring load to lead the team to their first conference finals berth in franchise history.
The Clippers may be counting on George for a repeat performance now that Leonard is expected out for most if not all of the new season as well. But when it comes to his haters, which include some famous ones too, George thinks that they can all buzz off.
Photo: Feb 26, 2020; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George (13) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
