Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George revealed that LeBron James’ decision to join the Miami Heat inspired him to team up with other stars in his NBA career.
George, who is currently teamed up with Kawhi Leonard in Los Angeles, has played with several stars during his time in the NBA, including Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony.
“At that point, you see LeBron go to Miami, you see other guys teaming up, and I understood: I can’t do this alone,” George told GQ Sports’ Joseph Bien-Kahn. “I can’t go against these machines.”
James made major waves in the NBA when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers to play for the Heat in the 2010-11 season. The four-time NBA champion teamed up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, creating the dominant Big 3.
The Heat saw a ton of success in James’ four seasons in Miami, making the NBA Finals in each of the four seasons and winning two NBA titles.
They went through George and the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs to get there, and the Clippers star clearly saw that he needed more help than he had in Indiana to compete for a championship.
James has played and won with several star players during his time in the NBA, including Wade, Bosh, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Anthony Davis.
Now, George is looking to bring a title to the Clippers organization, something that has never happened in the franchise’s history.
“A championship with the Clippers 100% will outweigh a championship being with the Lakers,” George told GQ Sports.
George and the Clippers have a chance to achieve that goal this season, and it may be their best chance since George and Leonard teamed up prior to the 2019-20 season.
Los Angeles has the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, but it is healthy for the first time in a few seasons. George played in just 31 games last season due to injury while Leonard missed the entire campaign due to a torn ACL.
It was that same ACL injury that held Leonard out of the end of the Clippers’ playoff run in the 2020-21 campaign when they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals.
James took a lot of criticism for deciding to play with the Heat, but the move he made has inspired a whole new era in the NBA with stars teaming up to try to win championships.
While some fans may not like that the league has seen stars leave teams to play together, it has created some of the best teams in NBA history, such as the Golden State Warriors with Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
James and Miami’s Big 3 paved the way for stars like George, and now the Clippers wing is hoping he can create a legacy of his own in Los Angeles.
