PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JUNE 28: Paul George #13 of the LA Clipper reacts during the second half in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns at Phoenix Suns Arena on June 28, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Paul George gave an honest reaction to the toll injuries have taken on his body throughout his career, including this playoff
The Los Angeles Clippers are trying to climb out of a 3-1 Western Conference Finals hole, and it’s taking every ounce of energy to make it happen.
Paul George, who has taken us all on a roller coaster of a journey during the Conference Finals, is well aware of what it’s going to take to pull off an upset series victory over the Phoenix Suns. Los Angeles managed to stay alive on Monday night with a win in Game 5, but after the game George was candid about what his body is going through during an intense playoff run after the many recoveries he’s had to endure over the course of his career.
The Clippers star invoked LeBron James, recalling comments made about how his body would never fully recover to 100 percent ever again.
“It’s just been tough,” Paul George said following the Clippers Game 5 victory. “It’s been a process. I hear LeBron say he’s not 100 percent and won’t ever be 100 percent again. I thought about it, like, man, that was stripped from me as well. It’s tough. I definitely lost some things. Even with the shoulder surgeries, I lost a little bit.”
A common refrain when referring to players recovering from an injury is to say they’ll be ‘back at 100 percent once they’ve healed. After the Lakers Game 2 victory over the Suns in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs, LeBron made a point to shoot down this notion by saying there’s no way to fully heal from the deterioration someone’s body goes through from the vigors of basketball.
George suffered, among other injuries, a gruesome compound fracture in his lower right leg during a Team USA scrimmage in 2015. He miraculously played in the final six games of the Indiana Pacers season that year.