Indiana Pacers swingman Paul George has certainly worked very hard to become the star player that he is today, but in a recent radio interview he credits Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant's tricks of the trade to help elevate his game to the level that it is this season.
George joined 1070 the Fan in Indianapolis with Grady and Big Joe to discuss the Pacers season, but when asked about his growth as a player, George had this to say:
"I switched it all up, just my whole preparation. I come in early, I lift before every game and I get about 300 or 400 shots up prior to the game as well. All of that really came from Kobe Bryant. With him being around Brian Shaw and Brian Shaw being around us and me having a relationship with Brian Shaw and the conversations we have had, that's how Kobe prepares and gets ready for games. Me, idolizing Kobe growing up in L.A, that's really how I changed my whole season around."
George averaged just 7.8 points per game in his rookie season while struggling to find his fit. In his second year, he improved on that number but not as much as Indiana was hoping from the former 10th overall pick in the NBA Draft.
Now George is an All-Star averaging 17.1 points per game, while leading the Pacers to one of the best records in the Eastern Conference.
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