LeBron James Pushed This Former NBA Player to the Limit After Beating His Team in the Playoffs All the Time
LeBron James is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and throughout his career, he has consistently faced the league’s best talent. However, one former NBA player in particular has found himself on the losing end of some of LeBron’s most memorable playoff series. Paul George, the former Indiana Pacers star, has had a particularly bitter experience when it comes to facing off against LeBron in the postseason.
Over the years, LeBron and George have had several playoff battles, with LeBron’s teams — especially the Cleveland Cavaliers — often coming out on top. In fact, LeBron’s dominance in playoff matchups against George’s Pacers teams was so pronounced that it pushed George to his limits both on and off the court. Here’s a closer look at how LeBron James constantly pushed Paul George and his Pacers team to the brink.
The Rivalry Begins: 2013 Playoffs
The LeBron James vs. Paul George rivalry began in earnest during the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals. At the time, LeBron was in the prime of his career, leading the Miami Heat to a dominant stretch of success, including back-to-back championships. The Pacers, led by a young Paul George, were seen as a tough, gritty team capable of dethroning the Heat.
In the 2013 playoffs, the Pacers pushed the Heat to the limit, forcing a tough seven-game series. George, who was still developing into one of the league’s top players, was tasked with guarding LeBron for large stretches of the series. Although George performed admirably, averaging 19 points and 7.4 rebounds in the series, LeBron’s brilliance ultimately shone through, and the Heat won in Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals.
Despite the loss, George showed tremendous growth, and the series solidified his place as one of the league’s top rising stars. LeBron had won the battle, but George’s ability to match up with him on the court left an impression on both the basketball world and on LeBron himself. George had the skills to guard LeBron, but he was left wondering what more he could do to overcome the King in a postseason setting.
2014 Playoffs: LeBron’s Dominance Continues
In 2014, the Pacers were back for another playoff run, and they were determined to finish what they started in 2013. However, once again, LeBron and his Heat proved to be too much. Miami defeated Indiana in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, with LeBron putting up a near-perfect performance throughout the series. George, who was coming into his own as a star, averaged 21 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, but once again, it wasn’t enough.
LeBron was in MVP form, and his ability to perform in high-pressure moments made all the difference. George, despite having his own moments of brilliance, simply couldn’t match LeBron’s ability to control the game and dominate both ends of the floor. The Pacers’ efforts fell short once again, and the Heat advanced to the Finals.
The 2017 and 2018 Playoffs: LeBron and the Cavs vs. the Pacers
While LeBron’s battles with the Pacers were already etched into playoff history, the rivalry reached new heights when LeBron moved back to Cleveland in 2014. In both 2017 and 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers found themselves facing the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, with George still leading the charge for Indiana.
The 2017 series was particularly intense. Paul George, by now an established All-Star, was playing some of the best basketball of his career. He took it to LeBron and the Cavaliers, putting up impressive numbers and leading the Pacers to competitive games in the series. However, despite his heroics, LeBron was once again too much for the Pacers to handle.
LeBron’s performance in the 2017 series — where he averaged 32.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists — was a testament to his playoff prowess. The Cavs won the series in seven games, but George’s performance showed just how far the Pacers had come since their 2013 encounter. For George, the series was another example of how close, yet how far, he was from beating LeBron in the postseason.
The 2018 series, however, was the one that really pushed both George and the Pacers to their limits. The Pacers were a young and hungry team, and with LeBron on a mission, the series became an emotional rollercoaster. In the first round, the Cavaliers won the series 4-3, but once again, George could not break through LeBron’s dominance in clutch moments. LeBron averaged 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, and played nearly every minute of the series. Even though George played his heart out, the Pacers fell short once again, further cementing LeBron’s reign over him in the postseason.
Paul George’s Frustration with LeBron
For Paul George, facing LeBron in the playoffs year after year wasn’t just a challenge — it was a source of frustration. No matter how much he improved or how well he played, LeBron was always one step ahead. After each playoff loss, George found himself trying to process what went wrong. In interviews, he spoke about the emotional toll of falling short against LeBron. He talked about how, despite playing well individually, the team just couldn’t find a way to slow down the King when it mattered most.
During the 2018 series, after the Pacers lost, George was visibly frustrated. “It’s just that extra step we need to take,” he said, acknowledging that LeBron’s greatness was something his team could never fully overcome. George’s inability to shake LeBron’s dominance in the postseason only added fuel to the fire, motivating him even more to elevate his game when given the opportunity to play the King again.
LeBron’s Legacy: The Ultimate Challenge
For LeBron, beating George’s teams year after year wasn’t just about individual victories. It was a testament to his own greatness, and the fact that George’s Pacers often pushed him to his limits made those victories even sweeter. LeBron’s ability to withstand the challenges posed by George and his team only solidified his legacy as one of the most clutch and mentally tough players in NBA history.
It’s also worth noting that LeBron’s playoff success over the Pacers helped define his career during the 2010s. As the NBA’s most dominant player during that time, LeBron needed to overcome any and all challengers in order to fulfill his championship aspirations, and that included the resilient Pacers team George led. Overcoming George and his tough-minded squad was just another example of LeBron’s ability to take on the best and come out victorious.