Paul George reveals why he is not playing with Team USA

Right now, plenty of LA Clippers fans are tuned into the Olympics to watch Team USA go for their fifth straight gold medal in Paris. Kawhi Leonard may have been ousted from the Olympic team last month, but many American fans are still rooting hard for their home country.

Paul George is of course no longer a Clipper, but many thought that he should have been an obvious inclusion on Team USA as well. After all, he was a key player on the 2016 Olympic team that took home gold at the Rio Olympics.

Recently appearing on the podcast 7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony and Kid Mero, Anthony asked George about why he was not participating with Team USA. PG explained that he had expressed a desire to play, but things ultimately did not end up working out.

George revealed that the initial discussions around playing with the national team came this past season. After a game where the Clippers had played the Warriors in Los Angeles, current USA head coach Steve Kerr approached PG asking him if he had any interest in competing at the Olympics. Paul says he made it clear that he wanted to.

The Team USA opportunity did not materialize for Paul George

"So I'm thinking I'm in," said George. "I think I'm a part of that group. So fast forward, my group ... reaches out to Team USA, talks to Grant Hill, informs them that if I finish this season healthy ... because that was my whole thing. Being in LA, I was getting hurt, wasn't finishing the season out. So I said, yeah, if I finish healthy ... I want to play."

Some time after this, George remembered seeing other players on Instagram receiving their Team USA jerseys. While seeing this, he humorously recalled wondering when he was going to see his. Later, he explained that he coincidentally ran into Grant Hill in Dallas during the Clippers' 2024 playoff series.

"Yeah, man ... It just didn't happen this year," said Hill to George. The former Clippers wing explained that he understood the decision and was not upset about the team's choice. But at the same time, he says he was looking forward to the experience.

While PG missed out on the Olympics this year, it is worth noting that the 2028 Olympics are set to be hosted in Los Angeles. It feels like there will certainly be some extra motivation for George to suit up four years from now, even when he will be 38 years old.