LA Clippers Standout Offers Clarity on Viral Paul George Quote

Norman Powell addressed his viral quote about Paul George once more.

Oct 30, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George (13) forward Norman Powell (24) and forward Kawhi Leonard (2) watch from the bench during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Each time the NBA saw a combination of Paul George struggling and Norman Powell thriving throughout the 2024-2025 NBA season, fans brought a popular quote from the Los Angeles Clippers standout back to life.

“Addition by subtraction” was a quote that Powell went viral for after acknowledging the loss of a guy like Paul George on the Clippers. It made it seem as if George was a problem for the LA franchise, which looked bad for the Philadelphia 76ers, considering they signed George to a max deal over the offseason.

Powell addressed the comments on multiple platforms, making it clear he didn’t intend to take shots at the nine-time NBA All-Star. Still, it’s a quote that hangs over his head. Recently, Powell offered clarity on his comment once more during a discussion with Fox Sports.

"Everybody was killing me about my 'addition by subtraction'." 😅

Clippers guard Norman Powell on the 25-19 Clippers and his case to make the All-Star game this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/vEWsGPFtql

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 24, 2025

"PG knows how much I look up to him and how much I talked to him in my younger years, going up against him in Indiana in the playoffs and the positive words he gave me as a rookie coming into this league," Powell said. "So, there's no hate or any shots being taken. It was just, this is my opportunity and my time."

For Powell, George’s departure opened up the door for more solo opportunities. The veteran moved up the pecking order on a team that featured George, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard one season ago.

Powell went from getting Sixth Man of the Year consideration due to coming off the bench for all but 11 of the 136 games he played in during his first two full seasons with the Clippers, to becoming a full-time starter and getting All-Star consideration.

Without George, Powell envisioned a big year for himself. After a 60-game campaign, he got just what he needed. The 31-year-old finished the year by posting averages of 22 points on 42 percent shooting from the field.

Career-high for points in a single season for Norman Powell 🔥 https://t.co/m2zkn9pJDm pic.twitter.com/8Rw3hocVs2

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 12, 2025

It’s going to take some time before George can shake the criticism created by the viral quote. After a down first season with the Sixers, George is at home watching the 2025 NBA Playoffs play out as his team was eliminated weeks before the NBA Play-In Tournament. Meanwhile, the Clippers are leading the Denver Nuggets in round one.

All the Sixers forward can do is focus on getting healthy and work towards a comeback season.