Paul George Is Hoping His New Approach to Training Will Lead to an Injury-Free Season
Paul George is entering his 17th season in the NBA. Given that experience, he knows the difference between being able to work hard and knowing when hard work is actually beneficial.
As a young player, the equation seems simple. More reps. More time in the gym. More drill work. Push through any nagging ailments and believe your body will figure out the rest. George is no stranger to that mentality.
He’s lived it.
Now, as he begins a new chapter in Boston, his approach is different. His competitive expectations still remain the same: play deep into the postseason and help win a championship. What has changed is his thinking on how he can best get there.
“At 25, I probably would have judged the day by, ‘How much can I get done today?’” George said. “Now, I look at it as, ‘How do I stack good days together?’”
That distinction becomes increasingly important after over 30,000 regular season minutes played, significant injuries, surgeries, rehabs, and recovery.
Taking care of his body isn’t something that happens around basketball. For George, it’s a part of basketball.
A New Beginning in Boston
Being traded to the Boston Celtics this summer might have come as a surprise to George. But it gives him something every competitor wants late in their careers: an opportunity to play meaningful basketball.
“When you think about Boston, you think about their track record, the fans, and the standard that comes with putting that jersey on,” he says. “I’ve played against these guys enough to know what that culture looks like from the other side. Now, I get an opportunity to be part of it.”
George isn’t arriving with a belief that he needs to reinvent himself. He understands what he does well and where he can help.
“I’m not coming in feeling like I have to be something I’m not,” he says. “I want to defend, make plays, knock down shots, bring experience, and help this team win.”
That same philosophy applies to his preparation. A new organization brings new trainers, medical staff, resources, and philosophies. This next chapter in his career is an opportunity to gain new information.
“I wouldn’t say I’m completely resetting because there are things I’ve learned over a long career that work for me and my body,” George tells Muscle & Fitness through his partnership with Exparel, a non-opioid option used as part of postsurgical pain management for certain procedures.. “I’m always looking for ways to be smarter with my training, recovery, and overall preparation.”
The biggest goal now is availability. The George has missed a combined 86 regular-season games the past two seasons due to injuries and suspension. He still has expectations for how he wants to perform individually, but the ability to consistently contribute has taken on greater importance.
The first half of his career was spent on proving himself and playing through minor injuries. Even with hard workouts, youthful thinking will make you assume the body will bounce back and you’ll be able to do the same the following day.
Experience eventually teaches a different lesson.
“I still have high expectations for how I play, but the goal is to be able to consistently contribute to the team and be at my best when the games matter most,” George says.
George No Longer Tries To Win Every Workout
Like many young athletes, there was a time when George would spend extended hours on the basketball court because the belief was that more work translated to improvement.
Those days are behind him. This isn’t an indictment on the commitment to the game he loves. It’s solely because his philosophy of discipline has evolved.
“I understand more about focusing on the quality of the work and what I want to achieve,” George says. “An hour of really focused work can be more valuable than spending three hours beating up your body.”
Training now has to account for everything. Skill work is still important. Strength and conditioning are necessities. But so is mobility, nutrition, sleep, and the recovery necessary to make the next training session as productive as the last one.
“The biggest shift has been understanding that there’s no single focus that carries you through a season,” he says. “I look at my whole day as part of training, including my nutrition, hydration, and sleep habits.”
That mindset has shifted how a successful day is measured. There are days when a demanding workout is the right decision. Other days, it’s treatment or mobility. Then there are those days where rest and recovery are the answer. George is fully versed in those distinctions.
All of these decisions are made with the bigger picture in mind, and having to learn lessons the hard way.
“I’ve learned that longevity comes from making smart decisions consistently, not trying to win every single day,” George said.
The Little Things Become Big Over 82 Games
Most athletes have an understanding of the importance of hydration, sleep, nutrition, and mobility work. There’s nothing glamorous about them at all. But these are the necessary and consistent habits that help sustain productivity and health over the course of an 82-game season.
Recovery used to be something George thought about when his body began hurting. Now, it’s built into his day-to-day routine.
“I’ve become much more proactive about taking care of my body, asking questions, and staying informed about my health and recovery options,” he said.
That approach is particularly important for a player joining a team with expectations that extend beyond the regular season. An NBA season can become a long exercise in borrowing from the future.
Push too hard to start the season without proper managing of the workload, and those dividends can show up right when other teams are beginning to hit their stride.
“I’ve learned that every decision you make in the fall can affect how you feel in the spring,” he says. “The competitor in me wants to be fully invested every single night, but part of training is understanding that maintaining your body over an 82-game season takes discipline.”
This isn’t about saving himself. It’s making sure the work he puts into the early part of the season allows him to give more later.
Injuries Taught George to Become an Advocate for His Own Body
Typically, you don’t see athletes play as long as George without learning their way around medical rooms. Injuries, followed by subsequent surgical procedures, have given him the perspective and experience of the recovery process from nearly every angle.
One of the biggest lessons has been understanding that even having a world-class medical team should pardon an athlete from the conversation.
“It’s still your body,” George says. “I’ve learned to ask more questions: What should I expect? What are my options? What does the first day after surgery look like? What does the first week look like? How are we going to manage my pain? What does the progression back look like?”
As part of a recent postsurgical pain-management plan, George says his doctors discussed multiple options with him, including Exparel. His physicians discussed the option with him as a one-time, non-opioid injection administered during a procedure to help manage postsurgical pain during the first few days afterward.
George was clear in stressing that it is not appropriate for every procedure and that individual patients should discuss their options with their doctors. For George, it’s all about being informed before the recovery process begins.
“When I was younger, I might have thought, ‘I’ll deal with managing the pain when it happens,'” he says. “But now, I want to know the plan and what I can do to put myself in the best position for postsurgical recovery.”
That sentiment fits with everything else George has learned about longevity. Prepare before the problem, listen before the body forces you to, and understand that patience is every bit a part of discipline as pushing harder.
If George could impart that lesson back to the younger version of himself, he already has an understanding of what he would say. It’s the same message he imparts now as the OG in the locker room.
“When you’re 25, you think you’re always going to feel 25,” he says. “I would tell that version of myself to put the same discipline into sleep, mobility, nutrition, and listening to his body that he puts into making shots.
“The small health decisions you make early on have a way of paying off years down the road.”
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