VJ Edgecombe jokingly defends Paul George for 'bad shot' comment on Damian Lillard
Let's rewind to six years ago — which is an eternity in the NBA. With a chance to close the Oklahoma City Thunder out in five games, Lillard scored 50 points and hit a deep 3-point game-winner against George to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a Round 1 series win.
It's one of the biggest buckets in recent playoff history. Nothing can really beat a deep 3-pointer to send your opponent home. Especially against somebody who finished third in MVP voting that season. Lillard was rushed by his teammates and looked at the camera with a stone-cold face.
Afterward, George added to the moment. He called Lillard's game-winner a "bad shot." He argued he could've found a better quality look in the final seconds instead of letting the final seconds tick away to attempt a ridiculously deep outside shot.
While George may be right in a vacuum, fans across the league mocked him. He was criticized for the comment and was cited as being hurt about what had just transpired. After all, emotions are high when you get bounced out of the playoffs again in disappointing fashion.
That would be the final game George would play for the Thunder. He was shockingly traded to the LA Clippers a couple of months later. Russell Westbrook was also traded to the Houston Rockets. The Thunder blew up their core and entered a rebuild that centered around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. As we know, that eventually led to an NBA championship — something Lillard has yet to accomplish.
One of those fans who likely ran around their living rooms in shock from Lillard's game-winner was George's new teammate, Edgecombe. The 19-year-old was in middle school when it happened. He went on the "Podcast P with Paul George" show to dissect the shot as a Lillard fan.
"That's a good shot... But it's over my teammate, so it's a bad shot," Edgecombe said with a smile.
That's one way to gain rapport with your Sixers teammate. All these years later, George has stuck by his original answer. He even broke it down again on his podcast by adding context to what he meant.
"Obviously, I know how elite he is, his range. Obviously, he could shoot that s--- effortlessly. I wasn't coming off or trying to be a hater on that specifically," George said. "It was a bad shot in terms of like I felt the clock's running down. He could've drove me back and took a 3-pointer closer in... It's a legacy shot for sure."
It's funny to see how much of a ripple effect Lillard's game-winner had. It indirectly jump-started the Thunder's current NBA championship and has stuck with George for all of the wrong reasons as one of his career-defining moments.
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