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Paul George Talks Kobe, Conspiracy Theories & Nike with Complex

Paul George made some news but ignored other areas in his interview with Complex.

Pat Benson

Paul George with sneaker shopping with Joe La Puma of Complex.
Paul George with sneaker shopping with Joe La Puma of Complex. / Complex
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There are plenty of sneaker shows on YouTube, but none are more important than Complex's Sneaker Shopping with Joe La Puma. The veteran host regularly interviews athletes, musicians, and celebrities while they hit up local shoe stores.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George appeared in the most recent episode and gave several candid answers while shopping for kicks. The entire episode is worth a watch and can be found on below and on the Complex YouTube page. Below are our three biggest takeaways from the episode.

Sneaker Rankings

La Puma asks George where he ranks his sneaker catalog. The nine-time NBA All-Star acknowledged the popularity of his signature line before offering a humble answer.

George said his sneaker line had to be in the "top five" Nike signature sneaker lines. "You just look at years and years of NBA and college guys, turn on the TV, and you can spot two or three people wearing them."

Kobe Conspiracy

Last Spring, there was a conspiracy theory among NBA fans that George wore the Nike Kobe 4 "Philly" during his final series with the Los Angeles Clippers as a nod to his plans of going to the Philadelphia 76ers.

George laughed off the theory and offered a clear explanation. He said, "I saw the conspiracy, but nah. I was wearing those pretty much all series long... The 4s are one of my favorite Kobes; it just worked out that way. There was nothing behind it."

Nike Contract

One part of the interview that was a missed opportunity was the current status of George's contract with Nike. George's signature line ended after six signature models, and he previously said the brand planned to start releasing his retro sneakers.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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