The excitement surrounding the current men’s Team USA Basketball roster’s buildup sparked interest among the biggest NBA stars and Paul George was no exception. The 34-year-old believed he could join this star-studded side when head coach Steve Kerr inquired about his interest. Weeks after what many considered a snub, George has now opened up about his feelings about missing out on the Paris Olympics.
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On the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, PG admitted to discussing the possibility of playing at the Olympics with Kerr late last year. After expressing his interest in playing for the nation, he later conveyed the same to the team’s managing director, Grant Hill. However, the latter soon reached out to inform him of the decision to leave him out. George shared those details from these conversations, recalling,
“Steve Kerr, after we played the Warriors in LA, came to me like, ‘You got any interest of being on Team USA?’. ‘Hell yeah. I wanna play’. So, I’m thinking I’m in… Talked to Grant Hill… I said, ‘If I finish healthy, hell yeah, I wanna play’… Then it just so happened I ran into Grant Hill during the playoffs in Dallas, and he said ‘Yeah man, it just didn’t happen this year'”.
Carmelo Anthony asks Paul George why he didn’t make the team USA roster on 7pm in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/cvcN0XL01N
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His disappointment was understandable, given the numbers he put up for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. Averaging 22.6 points per game, PG recorded career-high shooting percentages of 47.1% from the field and 41.3% from beyond the arc. Although the team faced an early playoff setback, George exceeded expectations on an individual level.
On top of this, the NBA forward also addressed the doubts over his fitness. He started an impressive 74 games during the regular season, his highest ever in a Clippers jersey. This consistent performance was crucial for his 2024 All-Star selection, marking an unforgettable campaign.
Despite his best efforts, PG never received the call-up due to factors beyond his control. Nevertheless, his dream of representing Team USA in the Olympics and winning a gold medal was already fulfilled once in 2016. So, George had little to feel down about.
