Paul George

At 33 years old, Paul George has this physical status:

Paul Cliftonantho George (born May 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He is a six-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-NBA Team selection, as well as a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team. George attended high school basketball for Knight High School before beginning his college basketball at Fresno State for two seasons.

He was drafted by the Indiana Pacers as the 10th overall pick of the 2010 NBA draft and received NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors.

He was named the NBA Most Improved Player in 2013 and his first All-Star selection followed him.

When competing for a spot on the National Team for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014, George sustained a broken leg.

He missed most of the 2014-2015 season, but in 2016 he returned to become an All-Star again, winning an Olympic gold medal.

He was drafted to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 and spent two seasons with the Thunder before being traded to the Clippers in 2019.

Early life

George was born in Los Angeles, California, and is the son of Paul George and Paulette George. Teiosha, who played basketball at Pepperdine, and Portala, who played volleyball at CSU-San Bernardino, were twin brothers. George adored Lakers star Kobe Bryant, and he grew up rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. George spent the majority of his free time playing basketball at the park or one-on-one against his older sister Teiosha. He attended Mesquite Elementary School. He didn't play organized basketball until his freshman year at Knight High School. He was a member of the varsity basketball team for three years as head coach Tom Hegre. George played for Pump and Run of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) with upcoming UCLA Bruins Jrue Holiday and Malcolm Lee.

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High school career

George attended Knight High School in Palmdale. He started the season on the JV team as a sophomore, but after the season began, he was promoted to the varsity. He was the only non-senior on the varsity squad starting lineup in junior year. Recruiters began noticing George during the summer of 2007, when he competed in AAU tournaments. George's potential was sparked by his mentor's generosity, who gave him a leading role in his senior season. George led Knights to the Golden League MVP, the Antelope Valley Press Player of the Year, and a member of the Daily News 2007–08 All-Area Boys' basketball team. He finished his senior year with a scoring average of 23.2 points and 11.2 rebounds.

Despite his successes, George was not considered a major target by colleges. Rivals.com rated him as a three-star recruit and ranked him 20th among a group of California prospects praised by Jrue Holiday and DeMar DeRozan. George verbally committed to Santa Clara, the first school to give him a scholarship, but he later dropped out because his high school coach thought he should keep his choices open. After a positive experience at Pepperdine University's Midnight Madness event, George moved to Pepperdine on August 9, 2007. After coach Vance Walberg resigned from the job midway through his senior season, he de-committed from Pepperdine. He ultimately chose Fresno State over Georgetown and Penn State because of greater opportunities for playing time.

College career

George attended Fresno State University, Fresno, more commonly known as Fresno State. In his first game with the Bulldogs, he scored 14 points in a tying effort against Sacramento State. In a losing game against Saint Mary's, George had 25 points and ten rebounds. Despite the loss, he made a strong splash with his one-handed slam dunk over Mickey McConnell, earning him SportsCenter's number one "Play of the Day" for November 18, 2008. He led the Bulldogs to a 88-82 victory over Boise State on February 9, 2009, a career-high 29 points. The Bulldogs were matched up against Hawaii in the 2009 WAC tournament and advanced to the quarterfinals against the top-seeded Utah State Aggies. During the game, he had a career-high 5 steals and finished with a team-high 16 points; however, the Bulldogs lost 85-68, 85-68. The team failed to qualify for the 2009 NCAA tournament after posting a 13-21 record. In minutes played (1,176) and finished second, with intercepts (59%) and steals per game (1.74). His 3-point field goal percentage was the third-best in Fresno State Bulldogs' men's basketball program. He appeared in all 34 games and ended the season with 14.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 47.0% from the field.

He was named the most popular player in the West region and the eighth most entertaining player in college basketball by Sports Illustrated in their list of the "Top 16 Most Entertaining Players in College Basketball" heading into his sophomore season. He strained his right ankle against Utah State on January 21, 2010 and missed the next four games. In a winning bid over eventual WAC tournament champion New Mexico State, he made his return on February 11 scoring a career-high 30 points. During the 2010 WAC championships, he had 22 points and 11 rebounds, but his team lost to Louisiana Tech in the quarterfinals. The team finished the season 15-18, with George scoring 16.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.2 steals while shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 90.9 percent from the line. He was named in the WAC second team and ranked second in the WAC in free throw percentage (90.9%), robberies (64) and steals per game (2.2).

Fresno State announced George's number 24 on November 10, 2019.

Professional career

George announced on March 31, 2010 that he would forego his final two seasons of college eligibility at Fresno State and enter the 2010 NBA draft. He made his first appearance on Draft Express in 2010 as part of his sophomore season. Draft Express, ESPN.com, and The Hoops Report estimated that George will be ranked 12th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in May 2010. Marc J. Spears from Yahoo! two days before the draft. "In five years, Paul George will be the best player to come out of this draft," a sports reporter said in a blog about an anonymous Eastern Conference scout. The Pacers had been planning to draft Derrick Favors, a draft trade with the Nets that would have brought Danny Granger, the 10th pick, Yi Jianlian, and the 3rd overall pick to the Nets, but the deal fell through. During the draft, George was allowed to sit in the green room and was selected tenth overall by the Indiana Pacers. He was the best NBA draft pick in Fresno State history. He signed his rookie deal with the Pacers on July 1, 2010, a two-year contract worth $3.9 million, with team options for a third and fourth year.

On October 27, George made his NBA debut against the San Antonio Spurs by playing 23 minutes and scoring 4 points on 1–5 shooting. He knocked down five three-pointers and finished with a game against the Washington Wizards, finishing with a then-career-high 23 points. In his first season, George scored 7.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on a 45% shooting, with a minimum of 19 of his 61 games. He also demonstrated his defensive abilities, leading the team in steals per minute. George was one of only two rookies from the 2010 NBA Draft to be in the starting lineup for his team, the other being Landry Fields for the New York Knicks. The Pacers lost in five games to the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs, led by Derrick Rose. George was named to the 2011 NBA All-Rookie Second Team following his completion of his inaugural season.

In a victory over the Dallas Mavericks on February 3, 2012, George had 30 points, 7 three-pointers made, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, and 1 blocked shot. During the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend, George was chosen to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest and Rising Stars Challenge. George won a 360 windmill dunk in the dim, and dunked over teammates Dahntay Jones and Roy Hibbert in the Slam Dunk Contest. Jeremy Evans, on the other hand, lost the competition to Jeremy Evans. George played in all 66 games for the Pacers in the season, finishing the 2011-12 lockout season with averages of 12.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 44% shooting. The Pacers lost to the eventual NBA champions, the Miami Heat, 4–2 after defeating the Orlando Magic, who were without Dwight Howard in five games in the first round, with George failing to make just 19 of 52 field goals.

George mainly played shooting guard during his first two seasons in the NBA. However, with Danny Granger out for almost the entire season due to knee and calf injuries, George began playing the small forward position and became the Pacers' go-to offensive option in his third season. In a victory over the New Orleans Hornets on November 21, 2012, George made nine three-pointers en route to a career-high 37 points. The nine 3-pointers tied for the most 3-pointers made in a single game, beating Hall of Famer Reggie Miller by a landslide. In December, George became NBA Player of the Week for the first time in his career, winning three straight games against Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Detroit. In a victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on February 13, 2013, he earned his first triple-double in his career, posting 23 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, and 2 steals. George was selected to play in the 2013 NBA All-Star Game in Houston for the first All-Star selection of his career back in the same season. He had 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists on 7-of-13 shootings in 20 minutes for the East, but the East lost to the West, 143-138. George played with 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists throughout his career, and was the only player in the league with at least 140 steals and 50 blocks. He was named the NBA Most Improved Player at the end of the regular season.

George scored his first career playoff triple-double in Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2013 NBA playoffs first round series, defeating the Atlanta Hawks by 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. It was the first postseason triple-double for a Pacers player since Mark Jackson had one in the 1998 playoffs. George was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team on May 13, 2013. In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks on May 14, 2013, George led the Pacers with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists. George tied the game and prompt an overtime period in Game 1 of the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. With 2.2 seconds remaining, Dwyane Wade fouled George during overtime. Despite George's efforts to make all three free-throws and his team's victory 102–101, the Pacers lost in the end, with LeBron James driving in for a buzzer beater lay-up. George was named to the All-NBA Third Team to cap off a stellar 2012–13 campaign.

George's deal was extended until September 25, 2013, when the Indiana Pacers named him as their designated player. The contract, which will begin at the end of his rookie year in 2014, is a "5/30" designated player extension (five years and 30% of the salary cap), subject to passing the "Derrick Rose" exam. To qualify for the 30% extension, George had to be selected either for a new All-NBA squad (at any level) or be the MVP during the 2013-14 season. If he fulfilled either of these conditions, the 30 percent extension was estimated to be worth about $90 million over the 5-year contract. If he had failed to meet the requirements, he would have been paid at 25% of the salary ceiling.

For the first time in franchise history, the Pacers opened the 2013–14 season 9–0. In a 99–91 victory over the Detroit Pistons, George had 31 points, ten rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. During a 91-84 victory over the Toronto Raptors on November 8, he now had 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. In a 96–91 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on the following day, he scored 24 points and 6 rebounds. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for his efforts. Indiana became the first NBA team to start the season 9–0 since the Dallas Mavericks in 2002. On November 16, the Pacers' undefeated streak came to an end against the Bulls. In a 106-102 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on December 2, 2013, he scored a career high 43 points, as well as 3 rebounds and 3 assists. George was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for the first time in his career, during the month of November, while leading the Pacers to a 15-0 record. The Pacers posted an amazing 56–26 record in the regular season. The Pacers defeated the Atlanta Hawks and the Washington Wizards in the first two rounds of the 2014 playoffs. George scored a career-high 39 points in game 4 against the Wizards. For the third year in a row, the Pacers were disqualified in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. George was named to the All-NBA third team, qualifying him for the full 30% extension and the All-Defensive First Team for his efforts.

During the 2014 off-season, George was added to the training camp roster for the US national team that will represent the country in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. George had been considered a virtual lock to make the team but landed awkwardly at the bottom of a basket stanchion after fouling James Harden during a Las Vegas scrimmage on August 1, and sustained a compound fracture of both bones in his lower right leg. After George was arrested from the court, head coach Mike Krzyzewski told the audience that the game would not continue without regard to George and his families. George flocked quickly after undergoing leg surgery, with a pin being insert in the leg. Though no official prognosis was released at the time, he was predicted to miss the entire 2014–15 season. In late September, George, who had stated that he wanted to play at some time during the season, was allowed to put weight on his leg, and he was shooting jumpers in late October. On February 26, three days earlier than expected, he had his first full practice of the season, and was ruled a possibility to play within a week on March 20. George returned to the Pacers line-up on April 5 for the first time since suffering a leg injury with Team USA. He scored 13 points in 15 minutes and made two key three-pointers early in the fourth quarter, assisting the Pacers in defeating the Miami Heat 112–89. He appeared in Indiana's final six games of the season, averaging 8.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

In the Pacers' 2015–16 season opener against the Toronto Raptors on October 28, George scored 17 points on 4-of-17 shooting and 12 rebounds for the 106-99 loss. He was fined $10,000 after publicly criticizing the referees following the game. In a 90-87 victory over the Miami Heat, he scored 36 points in a 90-87 win. He scored 27 points, including a career-high 19 points in the first quarter, leading the Pacers to a 97-84 victory over the Orlando Magic. In a 123–106 victory over the Washington Wizards on November 24, George scored 40 points and made seven three-pointers, part of a franchise-record 19 by the Pacers. On December 3, he was named the Month's Greatest Conference Player of the Month for October and November. George was ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring (27.2 ppg), assisting the Pacers in winning 11 of 13 games after an 0–3 start. In a 122-119 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz two days later, he scored a career-high 48 points. George played for the Eastern Conference in Toronto, where he started and was the game's leading scorer with 41 points, just one point shy of the All-Star game record set by Wilt Chamberlain (42) in 1962. In a 115-111 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 19, he had a 45-point game. In 2016, George helped the Pacers return to the playoffs, finishing as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with a 45–37 record.

George played in his first playoff game since 2014 on April 16, 2016, defeating the Toronto Raptors in Game 1. George finished 39 points in a losing effort in Game 5 of the series as the Pacers fell behind 3–2. In seven games, the Pacers lost the series.

Following the 2015–16 season, George joined the United States national team for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

In the Pacers' season opener, George scored 25 points in a 130-121 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks on October 26, 2016. The Pacers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 115-108 on November 1, with 30 points, including Indiana's final 12 of the game, on November 1. The Pacers won by 118–111 over the Portland Trail Blazers on December 10, he scored a then-high 37 points, including 13 straight in the fourth quarter. He scored 33 points in a 120–101 victory over the Houston Rockets on January 29, 2017, setting a record high by beating the 30-point record for the fourth straight game in a row. In the Pacers' 98-77 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, he made six three-pointers and scored 27 of his season-high 39 points. In a 135-130 double overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 2, 2017, he had a 43-point effort. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for April's games. The Pacers defeated the Pacers 5–1 in April, clinching a playoff spot for the sixth time in seven seasons, with George scoring an NBA high 32.8 points and adding 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

George scored 36 points, grabbed a playoff career-high 15 rebounds, and finished with nine assists in Game 3 of the Pacers' first-round playoff match-up with Cleveland on April 20, one short of his second postseason triple-double. Pacers lost the game 119–114 to fall 3–0 in the series after leading 74–49 at halftime.

Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis on July 6, 2017. Despite his pending free agent status the following year and George's stated choice for the Los Angeles Lakers in his native Southern California, the Thunder acquired him.

In a 105-84 victory over the New York Knicks in his first appearance for the Thunder in their season opener on October 19, 2017, George scored a team-high 28 points. In a 120–111 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on November 10, 2017, he scored a season-high 42 points. He made 13 of 22 shots and had nine rebounds and seven assists. The Thunder lifted to 20–15 after starting the season with an 8–12 record, defeating the Toronto Raptors 124–107 on December 27. George scored 33 points against the Raptors and went 7 of 10 from 3-point range, tying the Thunder record for 3-pointers in a game. In a 148-124 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 20, 2018, he had a 36-point effort. George was drafted as a replacement for the injured DeMarcus Cousins on Team LeBron on January 27, 2018. In a 127–124 loss to the Denver Nuggets on February 1, 2018, he scored a season-high 43 points. George scored 40 points in the Thunder's regular season finale on April 11, 2018 over the Memphis Grizzlies. He finished 13 of 20 from the field, with eight of whom were 3-pointers. George was a winner in Game 1 of the Thunder's first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz, scoring 36 points. With eight 3-pointers, eight of 11 shots from long range, and 13 of 20 shots overall, he set a new Oklahoma City playoff record. In a 113–96 loss, George scored a team-high 32 points in Game 4. In Game 5, George Simmons scored 34 points and eight rebounds as the Thunder went from 25 points down in the second half to fight elimination and defeat the Jazz 107-99. With a 4-2 loss, the Thunder continued to lose Game 6 and fall out of the playoffs; George had a game-high eight assists in Game 6, but only scored five points on 2-of-16 shooting.

Although he wanted to return to Southern California, George "loved the situation" with Oklahoma City. He decided weeks before the free agency opened on July 1, 2018 that he would remain with the Thunder, but never arranged a meeting with the Lakers. George re-signed with the Thunder on July 6 to a reported four-year, $137 million deal. In a 98–80 victory over the Houston Rockets on November 8, he had 20 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and six steals, helping the Thunder beat the Rockets win seven straight after starting the season 0–4. In a 103-103 victory over the New York Knicks on November 14, he scored a then-season high 35 points. On December 5, he scored 25 of his 47 points in the fourth quarter, with a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left giving the Thunder a 114-112 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. In a 132–113 victory over the Sacramento Kings, he scored 43 points and 12 rebounds on December 19, he had 43 points and 12 rebounds. In a 107-106 victory over the Jazz on December 22, he had 43 points and 14 rebounds. In the first half of the Thunder's 126-117 victory over the Orlando Magicians, he scored 31 of his 37 points on January 29. In a 118-102 victory over the Miami Heat, he scored 43 points and had a career-high 10 3-pointers. He scored 39 points in a 132-122 victory over the Magic on February 5, giving him a total of at least 37 points in the fifth straight game. In a 117–112 victory over the Rockets on February 9, he scored 45 points. In a 120-111 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on February 11, he recorded his third triple-double in his career with 47 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. In the second overtime, he scored 45 points and hit the game-winning floater with 0.8 seconds remaining, giving the Thunder a 148–147 victory over the Jazz. He was named Western Conference Player of the Month for February and then finished third in MVP polling and subsequently finished third. Despite George scoring 36 points in Game 5, the Thunder were disqualified in the first round of the playoffs by the Trail Blazers in five games.

On July 10, 2019, the Thunder traded George to the Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round draft picks, as well as the right to trade two other first round picks.

George made his Clippers debut against the New Orleans Pelicans on November 14, 2019, defeating him for the first eleven games of the regular season after recovering from shoulder surgery. In a 150–101 victory two days later, George scored 37 points in just 20 minutes on his homecoming against the Atlanta Hawks. In a 110-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers, George made his return to Indiana and posted 36 points and nine rebounds. George led the Minnesota Timberwolves to win by 124-117, defeating them as the first two Clippers ever to score 40 points in a single game with Leonard scoring 42 points. Following the Suspension of the 2019-20 NBA season, George drew frequent criticism from NBA fans and media for his inconsistent results during the 2020 NBA Playoffs in Orlando, Florida. George averaged 20.2 points per game in 13 playoff games, his lowest scoring average in the NBA since his third season in the NBA, while shooting 39.8% from the field, his fourth time in his career. In particular, George was blamed for the Clippers' second round loss to the Denver Nuggets, in which the team lost a 3–1 series lead, becoming the 12th team in NBA history to do so. George only scored 10 points on 25% shooting in Game 7 against the Nuggets, and he failed to score in the 4th quarter. George's dismal show in Game 7 featured one unforgettable miss on a three-point shot attempt in which the ball struck the backboard by the side. George earned the nickname "Pandemic P" in online forums, such as Twitter's social media website, which is an ironic reference to George's "Playoff P" nickname, which he elicitly christened himself with a few years ago.

George signed a four-year, $190 million contract extension with the Clippers on December 10, 2020. George had 33 points, 26 of which were in the second half, lead the Clippers to a 116-109 victory over the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers on December 22, 32 of whom were in the second half. George scored 28 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in Game 6 of the Conference Semifinals against the Utah Jazz, leading the Clippers to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. George played against the Phoenix Suns in his third appearance in the Conference Finals, scoring a career-high 41 points, as well as 13 rebounds and six assists in a 116-102 victory. In Game 6, the Clippers will eventually lose to the Suns.

In a 92–111 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, George scored a season-high 42 points and grabbed eight rebounds. George strained his elbow and missed the next five games before returning to the field in a 92-116 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on December 6. George had a torn ulnar collateral ligament ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, according to the Clippers on December 25. He had been barred from work for at least three weeks. In a 121-115 victory over the Utah Jazz on March 29, 2022, George's first game back from injury, he had 34 points and four steals. In a 117-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings, George tied his career best with 12 assists and 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals.

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