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Paul George’s Honest Confession On Being Snubbed From Team USA For Paris Olympics; DETAILS Inside
Paul George came up with a statement regarding his Olympic snub during a recent podcast as the former Clippers star talked about his disappointment.
Paul George's offseason has been quite interesting. After five dismal seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, he signed a free-agent contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. Although he had made no secret of his desire to play for Team USA in their quest to win the gold medal in the 5-on-5 basketball competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, he had hoped for an even busier off-season.
But now that they’re in Paris, Team USA is preparing for their next group stage match against a team that nearly won against them in the pre-Olympic preparation game, South Sudan. The new 76ers star is currently in the United States because he was left off the 12-man roster for the national team. However, George had been aware for some time that he wouldn’t make the team, as Grant Hill, the managing director of USA Basketball, informed him directly during the 2024 NBA playoffs.
What did Paul George say?
George said, “So it just happened that I ran into Grant Hill during the playoffs in Dallas, like, ‘Yeah man, it just didn’t happen this year.’ I understood it like, I’m not going to be sorry about it but at the same time it was like damn, ‘I was looking forward to representing the USA and being part of that team.”
Considering the strength of the roster that Team USA selected for Paris, some snubs were inevitable. The person who has spoken out the most about his perceived rejection is Jaylen Brown, the finals MVP in the recently finished NBA season where Boston Celtics won their 18th NBA title. Paul George, however, has no hard feelings about not being included in the Olympic roster for 2024.
George won Olympic gold in 2016
George’s disappointment was visible as the 76ers newest recruit said, “I wouldn’t say it hurts but I for sure wanted to do it.” Paul George would have had a fantastic opportunity to establish some early chemistry with his new teammate, 76ers star and former MVP Joel Embiid, had he joined Team USA in Paris. However, Team USA ultimately decided to take a different course.
George can at least take pride in the fact that he has already competed for his nation in the Olympics. He was a rotating member of Team USA's 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning squad in Rio. Maybe Grant Hill just decided not to put George at further risk of injury, just as he did for Kawhi Leonard.
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