9-Year NBA Veteran Speaks on Paul George’s Hall of Fame Potential

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With Paul George’s down season with the Philadelphia 76ers in the rearview, his struggles in the City of Brotherly Love have clouded judgment about his past.
Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas recently backed George, referring to the Sixers forward as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Arenas’ comments generated some mixed reviews.
This week, former NBA player Chandler Parsons dished his thoughts on George, questioning the certainty of the comment but also supporting a PG trip to the Hoops Hall.
“First-ballot? I don’t know. I think he ends up getting in. Paul George is one of my favorite players. He’s one of my favorite people—I love him—but I think a guy like Blake Griffin should get in before him. There are certain resumes also that aren’t as good as Paul George, and they are in the Hall of Fame. … Paul George is a generational talent. He’s unbelievable. I think that championships matter a lot. He’s one of those guys that, if Philly wins a championship next year, I think that’s a stamp of approval.”
Chandler Parsons says Paul George is NOT a first-ballot Hall of Famer
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 27, 2025
“I think a guy like Blake Griffin should get in before him.”
(🎥 @RunItBackFDTV ) pic.twitter.com/lqFpHFfrHn
With Griffin calling it a career recently, it’s assumed he’ll be on his way to the Hall of Fame at some point. The former first-overall pick finished his career with six All-Star nods, five total All-NBA nods, and the Rookie of the Year award he won in 2011 with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Comparing resumes, it’s difficult to see where Parsons is coming from. With several seasons still on his contract, George has plenty of time to add to his already impressive resume.

Heading into the 2025-2026 NBA season, George will hold nine All-Star nods, six total All-NBA nods, four total All-Defensive nods, and a Most Improved Player of the Year award. As much as a championship win would help George escape one of the biggest criticisms of his career, Griffin has come up short in that category as well, failing to give him that actual advantage over George.
At the end of the day, both of the former Clippers are likely to earn Hall of Fame honors. Who will get it first? Only time will reveal that much.
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Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia
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