Maximum salary dispute and ten-year feud: Why did Paul George exacerbate the "Walking" bombardment war again

When 34-year-old Paul George swears on the podcast, "If it weren't for LeBron, I would have won the championship," the basketball circle of the United States was instantly ignited. This star, who has not won the championship with four teams, blamed the biggest regret of his career on the "James Curse" ten years ago. The smoke of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals has not yet dissipated. George, then 24 years old, led the Pacers to fight the Heat Big Three with six games, with averaging 24 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, seemingly impressive, but it hides fatal flaws. In the key G5 battle, he made only 7 of 21 shots, and scored only 3 points in stealth in the fourth quarter, watching the Heat get the match point. What's even more ironic is that he made 7.3 shots from outside the three-point line throughout the series, but his shooting percentage was as low as 31.9%, which was completely different from the regular season.

At that time, James was at the peak, facing the Pacers' iron wall, and averaged 22.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists per game. The Pacers, who George said, "can't win the championship", actually had a fatal rift: after leaving the team, Granger lost control of the locker room, and his winning rate plummeted to 37% in the second half of the regular season, and he advanced all by trashing the game.

The old accounts are brought up ten years later, and George's anger hides deeper anxiety. After joining the 76ers this season, his average of 22.1 points per game cannot hide the embarrassment of the team's second in the Eastern Conference. In contrast, 39-year-old James still carried the Lakers into the playoffs with 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. This kind of contrast between time and space is just like the cruel annotation of fate to "Why do you give birth to Yu?"

Intriguingly, George admitted in his autobiography: "The 2014 playoffs was the darkest moment of my career", but he attributed the failure in this interview to his opponent's strength. This narrative contradiction reflects the psychological defense mechanism of professional athletes when facing career shortcomings.

If the Pacers could really cross the Heat, NBA history might be rewritten:

1. James' "Decision 2.0" may be ahead of schedule, and the Cavaliers 2.0 dynasty may not be revealed in the world

2. George may not start "California drifting", Indiana may become a new force in the East

3. The Spurs' 2014 epic team basketball may lose the brightest footnote

, but competitive sports have no if. The Heat, who eliminated George, was swept by the Spurs gentleman in the finals, just confirming the cruel logic of top-level competition--it is never just a certain opponent that hinders the championship path.

George, now wearing a 76ers suit, is facing more serious doubts: his shooting percentage is 38.2% this season, ranking 89th in the league, and his defensive efficiency is 112.3, setting a career low. The chemistry with Embiid never ignited.

When he was angry at "unfair fate" in the show, the sharp comments of ESPN's famous reporters may be more worthy of thinking: "Great players transform failure into armor rather than throwing daggers at their opponents."

What do you think is the main reason why George never won the championship?

① Failure to meet a strong enemy

② Improper mentality in key battles

③ There is obvious technical shortcomings

④ Talk freely in the comment area