Paul George reveals how NBA Champion laid ground rules for All-Star games

Then Indiana Pacers star Paul George played alongside Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett in the 2013 All-Star game.

Paul George reveals how NBA Champion laid ground rules for All-Star games

Then Indiana Pacers star Paul George played alongside Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett in the 2013 All-Star game

The NBA All-Star game brings together the best players in the league to play against each other. They are then divided into teams where they compete in the All-Star game. Philadelphia 76ers superstar Paul George has played in that game nine times and is looking forward to playing in his tenth this season.

George was a budding star out of Fresno State and was part of the new era of Indiana Pacers basketball. However, he took three years to really blossom into a superstar. That 2012-13 season saw him earn his first All-Star call up.

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That also was coincidentally was Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett‘s last All-Star game. At age 37, the NBA Champion was in his last season with the Boston Celtics and was called up to be a part of the uber talented East team.

As it is normal for younger stars to learn from established veterans, George’s luck turned into his favor when he figured his locker was right beside Garnett’s. At the time, he recalled learning from the former league MVP and revealed one incident that helped him understand what respect is.

Before the game started, there was food left out for the players. All the staff went and ate first though, so word got back to KG. So, he’s like, ‘Yo, listen up. Y’all motherf*****s better not eat or touch another f***in’ meal without us players touching it first.’ Everybody in there was shook. He set a precedent.

Paul George said

Paul George said this while on his podcast, Podcast P with Paul George. After revealing this incident, he added that since then, nobody eats the food before players do. Kevin Garnett established a precedent that remains followed today.

New NBA All-Star format to challenge Paul George and fellow stars

The times when Kevin Garnett played was when the All-Star game was still competitive. Since then, it has become a snoozefest with players not engaging in defense in fear of injury and fatigue. This led many fans and analysts to call out the players for not giving them their money’s worth in entertainment.

The NBA has experimented with several different iterations of teams. After last season’s embarrassment became too much, they have now come out with a new format. In this new format, the All-Stars will play in four teams.

The crew of Inside the NBA will draft players to each team, who will then compete in a semifinal format. Each winning team from each semifinal will then compete in a final match. The teams will play to 40 points and may feature players from either conference.

The league hopes this format will bring back some semblance of competitiveness from players. However, some analysts and players are not sure. The All-Star game is set to take place on February 16th. If Paul George makes it to his third straight game, he will know firsthand if the new format makes sense.