Indiana Pacers forward Paul George's goal for the 2015-16 season is to take home the NBA's Most Valuable Player award.
"After being drafted into the NBA, I was playing from the bench and then tried to be a starter, then an All-Star. My goal now is set to be MVP. This year, that hasn't changed," George told fans at a Nike store in Beijing, according to the Indy Star.
The 25-year-old missed all but six games last year after suffering a catastrophic lower-right leg injury during a Team USA intrasquad showcase game.
He'll be returning to a drastically different Pacers roster without center Roy Hibbert (dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers) and power forward David West (signed with the San Antonio Spurs).
George knows he'll be tasked with taking on a leadership role and setting a good example for his teammates.
"As a team leader, you must learn to give more effort than others, the first to arrive every day to the arena, the last one to leave every day," he said.
Winning MVP is a lofty goal for a player coming off a compound fracture in his leg. George was an All-NBA talent prior to the injury, averaging 21.7 points and 6.8 rebounds in 2013-14, yet it's hard to imagine him not being at least a tad rusty coming out of the gate.
George could also be headed for a new position, as team president Larry Bird said he wants to play his star player at the 4-spot in a small-ball lineup. The Fresno State product played only one percent of his minutes at power forward last season, so adjusting to a position he has almost zero experience competing at may also hinder his pursuit of the MVP trophy.
