LeBron James had plenty of praise for Paul George on the latest episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast, and it all came back to something George said years ago about winning at this stage of his career.
When Steve Nash brought up George’s earlier comments, James latched onto the bigger point: self-awareness.
“I don’t think we have that enough in sports, actually. Or in life,” James said about George’s self-awareness.
James expanded on that idea by pointing to the difference between knowing what you can do and understanding what gives a team the best chance to win.
“We talk about sports and in life like just being self-aware of not what you’re capable of, because he’s not saying that he’s not capable of being the best player. But the self-awareness saying that, ‘I think where I’m at in this point in my career, if I’m the highest usage guy on a team or I’m shooting all the balls or if I’m the everything, you know, I have to do all this, then I don’t believe that’s the best ingredients to win a championship.’”
James finished by making it clear he respected the mindset.
“That’s commendable to anybody. Shout out PG for that, for sure.”
George has lived both sides of that equation. He was the centerpiece of a team in 2018-19 with the Oklahoma City Thunder, when he finished third in MVP voting and put up a career-best 28.0 points per game. Since then, his career has shifted toward a more complementary role alongside other stars.
He played with Kawhi Leonard on the LA Clippers, then joined Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey with the Philadelphia 76ers. Now he’s in Boston as Jayson Tatum’s co-star, and the fit looks comfortable through six games.
George is averaging 20.7 points per game, which ranks second on the Celtics. He’s also putting up 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game, while sitting fourth in the NBA in deflections.
At 36, he appears settled into a role that lets him help a championship contender without having to carry the whole offense.
The comments James was reacting to came from George’s appearance on “The Old Man and The Three” in 2023, when George was just as direct about where he sees himself fitting on a title team.
“I had to be honest to myself. In order for me to win at the highest level and get to where I want to get to, I don’t think I’m the one guy.
I can, I can score with the best, I can take over games with the best. But I don’t honestly think that’s what my game is if I want to win a championship.
I don’t think that’s where my place is if I want to win a championship. I felt like I learned that.”
In Other News...
Luka Garza Just Gave Celtics Fans A Real Rotation Debate
Luka Garza gave the Celtics something different in a recent game, and it came at a time when their offense needed a jolt. His perimeter shooting stood out as one of the few bright spots in a loss to Houston, where Boston had trouble generating enough clean looks and the Rockets dictated the game inside and in transition.
For a frontcourt that is still sorting out its nightly mix, Garzas ability to stretch the floor adds a wrinkle the coaching staff may have to weigh more seriously. The Celtics have options to consider, and even in a defeat, he made a case that his shooting can change the conversation about how that rotation should look going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durants Postgame Frustration Says Plenty About Bostons New Problem
After Houstons win over the Celtics, Kevin Durant made it clear he was not interested in turning the postgame conversation into a referendum on his shot volume. When Houston Chronicle reporter Varun Shankar asked about the low number of attempts, Durant pushed back and stressed that his value goes well beyond how often he puts the ball up, a familiar theme for a veteran star whose gravity can shape a game even when he is not piling up shots.
For Boston, the exchange is another reminder of the problem that comes with facing a player like Durant on a night when he does not need to dominate the box score to tilt the floor. He has taken 10 or fewer field goal attempts in half of Houstons games this season while still averaging 20.8 points per game, which is exactly why the Celtics cannot afford to treat quiet scoring nights as a sign of relief. [Read more 🡒]
Mitchell Robinson Already Faces Pressure In Bostons Center Gamble
Bostons bet on Mitchell Robinson looked straightforward when it brought him in on a three-year deal and penciled him in as the starting center for the 2026-27 season. But the early read has been less tidy, with Robinson still trying to rediscover the impact that made him such a force in New York and Boston already having to sort through its frontcourt rotation.
Robinson has been candid about the adjustment, noting that he needs to improve and get comfortable in a new setting after eight seasons with the Knicks. The pressure is obvious now, because the Celtics did not bring him in to be a placeholder, and every uneven night only sharpens the scrutiny around how quickly he can settle in and whether Bostons center plan will hold. [Read more 🡒]