At some point in the next decade, Boston Celtics wing Paul George is headed to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The nine-time All-Star has been an MVP candidate, averaged over 20 points per game for the majority of his career, and ranks highly on several all-time NBA stat lists. With all of these accolades in mind, what's left for the 36-year-old to accomplish?
The answer is simple; George wants a championship. The league vet has now been a part of five franchises, yet he's never won a title — he's never even made the NBA Finals. He's hoping to change that with the Celtics and seems willing to do whatever it takes to reach the promised land, regardless of how his numbers are impacted.
“Year 17, that’s all I care about," George said of his
motivation to capture a ring, via NBC Sports Boston. "I don’t care about scoring. I don’t care about whatever it is. It’s all about winning. I’m going to do whatever I can to win. Leave it all on the floor for these guys to give ourselves a chance to win. That's all that matters. I've done it all, I've seen it all. I've been there, done that. I've yet to win, and that’s the one thing I’m seeking.”
George has backed that claim up so far. The first-year Celtic is averaging 20.7 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2.3 steals per outing to start the 2026-27 campaign. He's been extremely active on defense and timely on offense, draining a dagger 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter of the Celtics' 108-97 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday afternoon.
The future Hall of Famer has no problem delegating to superstar teammate Jayson Tatum and looks more and more comfortable in the Celtics' offense every game. If he can continue to make winning plays on both ends of the floor, Boston's chances at contending for a title will be much higher.
Of course, he'll need to be healthy for that to happen, so the Celtics are being careful with the oft-injured wing.
Although George had perfect attendance through six games, the 5-1 C's are sitting him on Monday night for a road matchup with the 6-1 Houston Rockets. This intriguing contest comes on the second leg of a back-to-back for Boston, explaining why George is listed as out with a simple rest designation.
The Celtics need George for the long run, and he wants to be good to go when it matters most.
"The main goal is to get to the end of the year and be healthy at the end of the year," George emphasized in the locker room on Tuesday evening.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: What Boston Celtics wing Paul George is prioritizing over scoring
