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Former NBA All-Star Fires Strong Take About Paul George After Podcast Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Mariano | Last updated Mar 3, 2025 1:06 PM ET

Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George recently made a stern decision to temporarily halt his popular podcast to focus more on the second half of the NBA season.

George's maiden campaign with the 76ers has been pedestrian, to say the least. It's been marked with issues, including injury concerns and inconsistent play.

The 34-year-old forward is only averaging 16.5 points per game, his lowest since his sophomore season, excluding 2014-15 when he only played six games. The 76ers are 11th in the Eastern Conference with a lowly 21-38 record.

Former NBA guard Rashad McCants agreed with George's decision to put his podcast on hold, saying the nine-time All-Star should show that "Playoff P is better than Podcast P."

Gilbert Arenas, another former NBA guard, offered a different opinion. He noted that blaming George's podcast for the 76ers' poor performance is ridiculous.

"You're saying that we're losing as a team, and you guys are sitting here and saying, 'Ah, it's you, 45 minutes a week podcast. It's you!'" said Arenas on the "Gil's Arena" podcast.

McCants dismissed Arena's argument, saying it didn't address his earlier point about the need for George to fully lock in. Arenas, however, doubled down on his stance.

"If 45 minutes of him turning on his computer, from Philadelphia or on the road, and recording, if that's a distraction, then every interview that you try to give me, every time I have to turn my laptop on, is now a distraction for me also," said the three-time All-Star.

"Any interview aside from game day or practice is now an official distraction."

The Sixers broke their nine-game losing skid after beating the Golden State Warriors, 126-119, on Saturday. George contributed 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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