Paul George is a guy that worked too hard to get here to just roll over. He was overlooked coming out of high school in Palmdale, undervalued coming out of college at Fresno State, and now he’s an All-Star NBA player. He got there with some natural gifts and an impressive work ethic to hone those skills every offseason, then to play hard every night.
That’s not the kind of guy to let an injury stop him.
George met with the media in Indianapolis for the first time since his horrific injury breaking his tibia and fibula in a USA Basketball exhibition game in Las Vegas. All he talked about was coming back. Here are some highlights, via Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports and Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
Paul George on injury: "It’s something that I think I can overcome...A bump in a road. Something that will make me stronger going forward."
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) August 15, 2014
Paul George: "Going forward, I don't think it will affect me in a negative way."
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) August 15, 2014
Paul George on return timeline says: "We don't want to put a date on it or a timeframe on it."
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) August 15, 2014
Paul George said sitting out whole 2014-15 season is a "possibility" but "I’m holding out a little hope."
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) August 15, 2014
USA Basketball came under a lot of criticism in the wake of the injury — from where the stanchions were placed to the demands on players time — but George was having none of it.
Paul George says criticism USA Basketball is getting is "unfair. It's a freak accident."
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) August 15, 2014
PG said USAB criticism is unfair: "It was a freak accident. Sucks I was on the bad side of it. I would love to still be a part of Team USA."
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) August 15, 2014
Meaning he wants to be on Team USA in 2016 when the plane heads to Rio for the Olympics.
Paul George on wanting to play in Olympics in 2016. "Absolutely, it’s in Brazil." He then cracked a smile.
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) August 15, 2014
As for talking about the injury itself:
"It felt like gasoline was on my leg and someone set a match," said Paul George, about the pain he felt when he broke his leg.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) August 15, 2014
PG sounded like mostly everyone else when asked if he saw replay: "I watched it one time. That’ll be the last time I see that video."
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) August 15, 2014
I’d be shocked if we saw George back on the court next season. Aside the basic healing timeline, even if he pushed to get back for the end of the season this is not going to be a Pacers’ season he wants to rejoin. They are in for a tough year.
But when he comes back in the fall of 2015, watch out.
