Paul George Is Taking A Break From Podcasting So He Focus On A Championship (LOL)
BREAKING: Paul George is taking a break from podcasting to focus on a championship
"I want to let the podcast P family know that after today's episode with Dwight I plan to take a break from the Pod just to focus on getting my body right getting mentally right and you know help this squad make a a push towards our goal to finish the season out give ourselves a chance to be in contentions to compete for a championship" (Via @PodcastPShow/ h/t @BASKETBALLonX)
When I first read this quote, I thought, "NBACentel got me again." But boy, was I wrong. Turns out Paul George isn’t stepping away from basketball—he’s just taking a break from podcasting to focus on winning a championship. I don’t know what’s funnier: the fact that he actually believes podcasting is affecting his game, or that he genuinely thinks the Philadelphia 76ers have a shot at winning it all.
Working here at Barstool, I’ve seen firsthand how much effort Big Cat, PFT, and the rest of the crew put into running a successful podcast. It’s not just sitting around and talking—there’s real work involved. That being said, it’s not like Paul George is grinding away in a dimly lit room, writing scripts, booking guests, and planning out entire episodes by himself. He’s just out there casually chopping it up with other hoopers. So when he says he’s “taking a break from the pod,” it almost sounds like he’s stepping away from something as intense as a second job.
I can’t help but find it hilarious. It’s as if he was saying, “Man, the podcast is just too much. I need to refocus on my game.” As if sitting in a chair for an hour, talking basketball with friends, is a major distraction from dropping 25 a night. It’s a wild thought. Now, if he had said he was taking a break from social media, booze, or even late-night Call of Duty sessions, that might have made more sense. But the podcast? Come on.
It makes me think about how much the NBA has changed over the years. I wasn’t around to witness it firsthand, but from the stories I’ve heard, guys in previous eras had real distractions—ones that actually warranted a break. Take Dennis Rodman, for example. He didn’t step away from a podcast; he needed a three-day bender in Vegas just to lock back into basketball. And the best part? It worked! Michael Jordan had to fly out to drag him back to practice, and next thing you know, the Bulls were back to dominating.
Rodman wasn’t the only one. Charles Barkley, Shaq, Allen Iverson—these guys weren’t concerned about their brand or a side hustle getting in the way of their game. They showed up, balled out, and let the rest take care of itself. That’s not to say today’s players don’t work hard, but the league has undeniably shifted. We’ve gone from players banging Carmen Electra, winning championships, and becoming legends to guys thinking a podcast is too much of a commitment.
I get it—times change, and athletes today are more business-minded. But sometimes, I miss the old-school mentality. The NBA used to feel a little more raw, a little more unpredictable. Now, we’ve got players acting like stepping away from a podcast is the same as making some huge life decision. Maybe I’m just nostalgic for an era I never lived through, but still—this whole situation is comedy.