Paul George Finally Admits Damian Lillard Shot was a 'Great Shot'

George acknowledges Lillard has unlimited range.

© Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Remember when Damian Lillard hit a 37-foot, sidestep three-point buzzer-beater right in Paul George’s grill to send the Oklahoma City Thunder home in the first round of the 2019 playoffs?

Of course you do. It’s one of the most iconic shots in NBA history, and it sent ripples throughout the league—the Thunder’s early exit probably played a role in George requesting a trade to the Clippers that same offseason. But beyond that, it was a prime example of the level of skill and range that some players have developed in today’s offense-heavy league. Lillard and Stephen Curry make those shots at an efficient clip, contrary to Paul George’s assessment.

“That’s a bad shot,” he said during his postgame interview after being eliminated. “I don’t care what anybody says, that’s a bad shot. But hey, he made it. That story won’t be told, that it was a bad shot. You live with that.”

Flashforward two years, and George and Lillard are playing alongside each other on Team LeBron in the 2021 All-Star game. George played well in the glorified shootaround, but Lillard was truly entertaining, knocking down eight threes, many of which were the same range or further than the shot he hit over George in the playoffs.

It seems that playing next to Lillard and Curry caused George to shift his mindset. When asked after the All-Star game about the league’s evolution towards deep three-point shooting, George admitted he was wrong back in 2019.

"Well I guess I was criticized for the right reason for calling Dame's shot in the playoffs a bad shot,” George said with a chuckle. “I mean I see this guy's range is crazy...It's a great shot. 2 thumbs up."

Good on George for the mea culpa. What he said in 2019 was understandable; players have been coached their whole lives to force opponents into shooting wild shots like the one Lillard took. In any other league in the world, and even against most players in the NBA, that is a bad shot. But players like Lillard and Curry have proven time and again that they need to be respected no matter their distance from the basket. If they’re past halfcourt, it’s a good shot. 

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