Paul George endorses modern superteams: 'It's a different game now'

High-profile names from basketball's past, including Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, have been critical of today's best players for joining forces to challenge for an NBA title instead of competing against each other.

However, recent juggernauts like the Heatles (the 2010-14 Miami Heat) and the reigning two-time champion Golden State Warriors have combined multiple All-Stars on their way to winning it all. It's a fact that isn't lost on Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George, who re-upped to stay with the franchise and fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook earlier this offseason.

"No team has won (a title) where one single guy was the lone star and it was their team. It's not that era. I'm not sure how the veterans, the legends, don’t understand that part," George said, according to the Washington Post's Tim Bontemps. "It’s a different game now. For those guys to chime in and say we’re not built the same ... I never understood that, because who would we be fooling if we went out alone and tried to go up against the Warriors?

"The best guy in our league right now couldn't do it. (LeBron James) got swept (in the 2018 Finals). So that just goes to show you at this point what it takes to win. Because you need guys that are alike talent-wise and skill-set-wise to win championships."

George added that modern stars understand they have the power to make decisions and be proactive when it comes to team building.

"Back in the day, guys were stuck on teams," he said. "It was up to the front office to build around that one guy, and that one guy was going to bring championships to them. It’s not the same now. ... (Players) understand that, and we know what it takes."