Paul George had a ready answer when asked who his GOAT was. And it wasn’t Michael Jordan.
“My GOAT is Kobe [Bryant]. That’s my era, like who I grew up watching,” the LA Clippers star said on the latest episode of Podcast P. “MJ is like all-time prime GOAT, but my GOAT is Kobe. He’s the ‘it’ to me.”
“There are conversations for both,” he added. “MJ was obviously like a freak of nature, just crazy athletic, put up 50 after 36 hours of golf…and a f*****g 18-pack of beer.”
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Those who have followed George enough will know that he was a massive Kobe fan since his early balling days. “I was the whole nine,” George said, according to a Bleacher Report featurette.
“Anything you can think of. I had the Kobe jersey. I would do the Kobe walk. I would walk around the house doing the Kobe stare-down face. Anything you can name, I was idolizing him, trying to be like him.”
Related: Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan Head-To-Head Record: Kobe Won More Games, But MJ Had Better Stats
Paul George Said It Was Kobe Bryant Who Inspired Him To Set The Bar High
In 2022, Paul George returned from an injury setback to play against the Utah Jazz, and his comeback was a successful one, as he poured in 34 points to help the Clippers register a 121-115 win.
And he credited his return to Bryant’s work ethic.“Kobe Bryant, who you know, plays through stuff like this,” he said.
“And I always hold myself to a high standard. And at the end of the day, when I’m finished, I want to look at my career and say I gave everything I had, I wanted to help my guys, I didn’t want to leave them out here hanging for the rest of the season. I felt good so it was only right to come back.”
If there was ever a better time for George to suit up and help his team, it would be now. The Clippers are without him and Kawhi Leonard and are on the brink of elimination against the Phoenix Suns.
They trail 3-1 despite Russell Westbrook’s pyrotechnics, and maybe having the guard in the mix would greatly improve their chances of keeping their playoff hopes alive.
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