Former Fresno State Star Ripped by Stephen A. Smith

Former Fresno State Bulldogs star Paul George has been taken to task by Stephen A. Smith during a miserable NBA season.

Feb 24, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George before a game against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The 2024-25 NBA campaign has not exactly been kind to former Fresno State Bulldogs star Paul George, who has been laboring with the Philadelphia 76ers.

George is averaging just 16.4 points per game on 43.2/35.8/81.1 shooting splits as the 76ers have slumped to a 20-38 record in spite of entering the season with lofty expectations.

The 34-year-old recently announced that he would be taking a break from his podcasts to focus on the remainder of NBA season, which didn't sit well with ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith.

Not because George revealed that he was taking time away, but because Smith feels it's something the nine-time All-Star should have done much earlier.

“I worked in Philadelphia for 17 years, so I know the city, and I know how they’re receiving it," Smith said on ESPN First Take. "I’m not saying me, I know because I know them, I know how they’re saying it. What they’re taking from his words is ‘Now you need to prioritize? Now you need to get ready? What the hell were you doing before?'"

The Sixers signed George to a massive four-year, $212 million contract over the summer and were expected to seriously contend in the Eastern Conference because of the addition.

Instead, George is mired in the least productive campaign since his rookie year, and Joel Embiid played in just 19 games before recently before ruled out for the season due to a knee injury.

“So you weren’t ready to go, so you weren’t focused, so you weren’t dedicated," added Smith. "You see, that’s the danger with what he said. If I were him, I wouldn’t have said that.”

Needless to say, the deal the 76ers handed George has definitely blown up in their faces.

George spent two seasons at Fresno State in 2008-09 and 2009-10, recording 15.5 points and 6.7 boards a night. He was originally selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 10th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft.