Paul George Believes He Would've Won A Championship By Now
George feels that LeBron James and the Miami Heat prevented him from winning a championship
It’s no secret that a championship is the hardest achievement in the NBA. While many players have reached that goal, there have been a lot of great ones who came up short.
On a recent episode of The Pivot Podcast, Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George said he would’ve won a championship if he didn’t have to play against LeBron James.
“Had there not been a LeBron James, I might have had one [a championship].” - Paul George
Before playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, and 76ers, George spent his first seven years with the Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers’ kryptonite
The Pacers were playoff contenders for most of George’s time there; however, they often fell short in the playoffs. From 2012 to 2014, the Pacers established themselves as one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams, but always had to battle James in the postseason.
At that time, James was with the Miami Heat, arguably the best team in the league. While playing in Miami, James averaged 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.7 steals. Along with being named an All-Star during each year there, he was also the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2012 and 2013.
The Heat and the Pacers battled each other in the playoffs in 2012, 2013, and 2014. While every series remained competitive, the Heat ultimately came out on top every time.
George’s chances started to run dry
After the 2013-14 season, James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Heat entered a rebuilding stage.
Even though the Heat were no longer a threat, the Pacers remained incapable of succeeding. After missing the postseason in 2015, George led the Pacers there in 2016 and 2017, losing in the first round each time.
George’s time in Indiana soon came to an end.
On July 6, 2017, the Pacers traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Although George and the Pacers failed to reach the ultimate goal, the outcome may have been different had the path been altered.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to The Lead. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson, Instagram @ckenzynelson, and Threads @ckenzynelson