When Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George was young, he knew he wanted to become a professional basketball player. To achieve this dream, the Palmdale, California native did what most prospects did: played a lot of basketball and studied the game.
However, PG didn't just watch the All-Stars and his favorite players like Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady . He focused on every player that he felt would help shape his playstyle.
"I used to love watching big wings," George said , "Obviously, Kobe is not necessarily a tall wing but Kobe was my favorite player. But I love watching T-Mac. I love watching John Salmons. I love watching Josh Howard. Those [players] used to inspire me, and people would be like, 'Damn, why do you like them?' But it was just like they played both ends."
PG's low-profile favorite players
George added that he reminds young players with NBA dreams to find the guy they'd like to model their game after. Prospects need to have a long-term vision of themselves, and finding someone who embodies everything they want to become as a player helps in that process.
Watching the All-Stars do their thing is great. But if a guy is serious about the game, they should study every player on the court because everyone has something prospects can learn from.
Josh Howard and John Salmons were three-level scorers in their prime. They were never the stars of their respective teams, but they could score 15-20 points on any given night. They didn't play flashy or have a set of killer moves. The two wings just stuck to the fundamentals and played their best in every possession.
Related: "I probably would have preferred someone like Stephon Marbury" - Jerry Stackhouse on why it was difficult to play with Allen Iverson
Not playing for stats
Perhaps PG rose to superstar status because of his genuine approach to the game. The likes of Howard and Salmons stood out to him because they played their heart out on both ends of the floor. They played within the flow of the game and didn't care whether or not their impact was visible on the stat sheet. George revealed he uses that same approach when he's on the court.
"I play this game because I love it," he said. "I don't check for stats. I don't care about what the stats are or if I'm making shots or not. I play the game because I love it. Shots go in, shots don't. It is what it is. I don't play for stats. That's not how I play the game."
This should serve as a lesson for all the prospects out there. If they are serious about making it big, they should expand their palette as much as possible. Striving to be the next Kobe Bryant is great. However, everyone should also pay attention to the role players with unique skill sets they can add to their games as well.
Related: "When they gonna hit me up?" – Paul George on wanting to play for Team USA but not getting the call
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