Learning from the mistakes of the Tokyo Olympics, the officials made sure this year’s Team USA squad was robust. As a result, they added a pretty tight roster with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and others. Not only does the current team dominate the court, but is willing to work per the specific needs of the games. But as the team advances on their journey to win gold, others left behind, including Paul George, Paul George ponder on what could have been, had he chosen to fight more for the position.

During a segment of his long-running podcast, the 9x NBA All-Star hosted Trae Young to discuss Team USA’s Semi-Final game against Serbia. George revealed that after rejecting the first offer to play for Team USA, he was approached a second time as well. However, by that point, he was still salty over the fact that he wasn’t chosen when other members of the squad were selected in the first go-round. This ‘saltiness’ caused him to miss out on a golden opportunity (literally).

“I did have regrets of like ‘Man, I should have been there.’ Like, that’s what you want to play for, that moment,” said George while referencing the USA-Serbia game.

Trae Young added to the player’s remark, and simultaneously took a dig at Jayson Tatum as well, by stating “You would have been even more mad maybe being over like JT.” Young’s remark was a reference to how, despite being a younger scorer and a recent NBA championship winner, Jayson Tatum was benched for two crucial games against Serbia. Plus, he would only average 19.9 minutes for his remaining three games.

Back in 2018, Paul George talked about how it is an “honor” to young players like Tatum. Therefore, as Young referenced, George would have gotten a better position on the squad and may not have liked playing over the Celtics star.

Paul George was an instrumental figure in Team USA’s medal run during the 2016 Rio Olympics. During eight games, he averaged 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. This placed him amongst the three other players on the squad who averaged 10 points or above during the tournament. This earlier performance is what may have caused Team USA head coach Steve Kerr to approach him, an experience that George recalled back in December 2023.

“I had that conversation right after we, uh, played the Warriors,” said the then-LA Clippers player. “Steve Kerr is like, ‘Hey, any interest in playing the Olympics this summer?’” George reportedly did not reveal his answer, but he may have already made up his mind.

Participating on an international platform is no easy feat. After all, along with the heightened expectations of the entire country, a player would also have to be away from their home for some time. Furthermore, Paul George shares a traumatic experience with international games since he developed a bad right leg fracture during the preparation for the 2014 FIBA World Cup. All of this may have played a role in the decision that the player now regrets. However, despite being miles away from the team, the 34-year-old continues to share any advice he could.

Paul George asked Joel Embiid to stay relevant in the Team USA roster

While Paul George regrets not joining Team USA, Joel Embiid may have been regretting doing the opposite. The 36-year-old Center and 2023 NBA MVP had trouble on the international stage, as he averaged only 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist during his first three appearances. Furthermore, Embiid’s decision to play for the USA and not France, the country whose citizenship he holds, brought him some tough love from the crowd over in Paris. Having observed all of this, Paul George looked to impart some wisdom to his friend.

In a previous segment of Podcast P with Paul George, with Sixers legend Charles Barkley joining in as guest host, the small forward emphasized that it is difficult to see success with the national team while following the same formula and technique that the player does in the NBA. He revealed imparting this very same information to Embiid, asking him to make some required changes.

“I had a conversation with him [Joel] not too long ago…It’s a different dynamic when you play Team USA…It’s a little bit of a different thing that I think he’s going through because there’s so much talent on the floor,” said Embiid.

“When I played on that 2016 team, my mindset was more so geared towards, I’mma pick dudes up 94 feet, I’mma pressure the hell out of whoever I’m guarding. I don’t do that in the NBA.” Therefore, George wanted his new teammate to find and use some other opportunities.

Whether it was this advice or not, Embiid’s performance saw a definite improvement. During the semi-final game against Serbia, he dropped 19 points by going 8-11 with his field goals, 2/3 with his three-pointers, and 1-1 with his free throws. Even while not being physically present, George is doing his duty on the sidelines by supporting his national team.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.