Throughout NBA history, injuries have been considered part of the game. With the exception of the famous iron man AC Green, almost no player can completely avoid injuries. These injuries may be large or small, but they can have a devastating impact on a career. If a player has enough willpower and competitiveness to overcome injuries, then he undoubtedly deserves the respect of his colleagues and fans. Paul George is such a player. After suffering a serious broken leg injury, he returned to the court with perseverance and determination, and performed well after his comeback, even exceeding his pre-injury level. So, how did George perform before the serious injury? What improvements did he make after his return from injury? Today, let's take a deeper look at George's basketball career.
George was born in Palmdale, California in May 1990. He idolized Kobe since he was a child. He once mentioned in an interview: "If there is no Kobe, I don't know who to idolize. I started playing basketball because of him." This also laid the groundwork for him to choose the No. 24 jersey after entering the league. He has two older sisters. The eldest sister is the main center of NCAA Piper Dyne University. Since childhood, she has suppressed the young George in singles with her long arms, accurate shooting and strong competitiveness. It can be said that George's perseverance after experiencing a serious injury is closely related to this sister. Failures and re-emergence have trained his resilience. In his senior year, he has become the only non-senior student in the school team's starting lineup, averaging 25 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 super quarters per game, and led the team to win the Golden League championship, and won the MVP. However, this did not make him famous nationwide, because his school is not a famous basketball school, and the division he belongs to is not strong. On some relevant websites, George was not ranked high among California high school players. The most eye-catching ones at that time were Drew Holliday and DeRozan. Although many universities, including Georgetown University and Pennsylvania State University, invited George, they could not guarantee him enough playing time. Only California State University, Fresno, not only promised to give him a lot of playing time immediately, but also offered a scholarship. So in 2008, George chose Fresno State University and officially started his college basketball career. In his sophomore season, he averaged 16.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 steals per game, and was successfully selected into the Western Conference All-Stars Second Team. However, because Fresno State University had a record of only 15 wins and 18 losses that season, and George himself had an assist-to-turnover ratio of only 0.94, although his name began to appear on some mock draft boards, his ranking was quite low. The media generally predicted that he would not be able to enter the upper middle of the first round in the 2010 NBA Draft.
Only one person saw potential in George, and that person was Larry Bird, the historical superstar of the 1980s and the then general manager of the Pacers. Bird believed that although George was only 203 cm tall, his wingspan reached 211 cm, his body was strong and flexible, his defense was top-notch, and his organizational skills also had potential. Perhaps he was the next Scottie Pippen. Therefore, the Pacers selected George with the 10th pick in the first round, and the latter himself did not expect that he would become the highest-ranked NBA draft pick in school history.
At the same time, Kevin Durant of the Thunder interviewed George as a guest reporter at the draft. At that time, George did not know that he would go to Oklahoma City seven years later to take over KD's position and reach the peak of his career under the assistance of Westbrook. As a natural small forward, George not only has long arms and legs and can attack and defend, but also has excellent shooting ability. Coincidentally, when he first joined the Pacers, the team already had a mature leader Danny Granger. Since the two are both small forwards, George often plays a substitute role.
In his rookie season, George's performance was a little immature, but he was still selected to the second team of the best rookie of the year. In the summer of 2011, the Pacers' lineup underwent major changes: Roy Hibbert, the black right-handed center who joined the team in 2008, gradually secured his starting position; All-Star forward David West joined from the Hornets; and the team used the rookie selected with the 15th pick that year to trade for point guard George Hill from the Spurs. The gears of fate turned quietly, and George missed this monster with a pair of big hands. But it doesn't matter, they will meet in Los Angeles eight years later.
Meanwhile, George, a sophomore, began to be promoted to the starting lineup and played more as the No. 2 position. That season, his three-point shooting percentage increased to 38.5%, and his average three-point production ranked second on the team, second only to Granger, and his one-on-one defense level became more and more perfect. He has become a highly regarded young player in the league and serves as the team's third scorer. This promising young player led the Pacers to the Eastern Conference semifinals that season, and lost to the eventual champion Heat after a six-game battle. This marked the beginning of the fateful duel between George and LeBron. In the 2012-2013 season, George's fate took a turn due to an injury. Granger, the team leader, was out indefinitely due to a knee injury and played only five regular season games throughout the season. Therefore, George had the opportunity to transform and rise, and he changed from a shooter and defensive stalwart to the team's main scorer. He averaged 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.81 steals per game that season, and won a series of honors, including being selected to the third team of the year and the second defensive team, being selected to the All-Star team, and being named the most improved player of the season. In his first season as a coach, he led the Pacers to the third place in the Eastern Conference and reached the Eastern Conference Finals again, facing the defending champion Heat. In the seventh game, George tried his best, but unfortunately lost in the end. In the 2013-2014 season, George's average score increased to 21.7 points. Although Granger returned from injury, he was in poor condition and was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in the middle of the season. The wheel of fate continued to turn, and it seemed that Granger's half-season with the Clippers paved the way for George.
However, George had no time to take care of these things. He was experiencing complex emotional fluctuations. He was worried because the big brother who constantly gave him guidance when he first entered the industry had left, and he was happy that Indiana officially changed hands and the Pacers became his team from then on. He led this defensive team to 56 wins, surpassing the Heat to rank first in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, they eliminated the Hawks and Bulls, and once again entered the Eastern Conference Finals to face LeBron. Although they lost again after six games, George's average points per game in this series has risen to 24 points, a number he failed to reach in the first two duels, and even scored 37 points in the fifth game. Everything was perfect. George improved year by year, and the Pacers' teamwork became more and more tacit. It seemed that LeBron's dominance in the Eastern Conference was in jeopardy. However, the time came to August 2, 2014. On this day, George suffered the most serious and terrifying injury in his career, which even brought a lifelong shadow to some fans. For humanitarian considerations, the following paragraph will not be accompanied by the video at that time.
During the US Dream Team training match held in Las Vegas, a serious sports injury occurred. Player George accidentally stepped on Harden's foot while defending him, causing him to crash into the basket, twisting his right calf 90 degrees and breaking the bone, which was diagnosed as a load fracture. Head coach Coach K immediately stopped the game and quickly arranged for George to be sent to the hospital for surgery.
This sudden incident shocked all the players present, and they were all sad and worried about George's injury. Cousins and Irvin were both stunned, unable to believe the tragic scene before their eyes; and Rose, who had suffered from serious injuries many times, could not help crying. Harden, as the person closest to the scene of the incident, was deeply shocked. From then on, he changed his flying and escaping style of play and focused on floor flow skills. This serious leg-breaking accident was visually very impactful and extremely rare in NBA history. Many of George's fans are still frightened by the accident and dare not watch the video footage of the time.
After a detailed examination, George was diagnosed with a non-open fracture of the tibia, but fortunately there was no soft tissue damage. The doctor repositioned the fracture and fixed it with steel nails or metal rods. It is expected that the wound will heal completely after the callus is formed, and the possibility of recurrence of such injuries after recovery is small. However, for professional players, the biggest challenge in the recovery process is often psychological fear. Tim Grover, a well-known personal trainer, said that although George may be able to walk in 6 months and start basketball training in 12 months, his psychological recovery is unpredictable.
Boxing champion May Weaver came to visit his friend as soon as possible, and George's family also stayed by his side to help him overcome his psychological barriers. Fortunately, George showed great willpower and perseverance. He firmly believed that "whatever does not destroy me will make me stronger." He quickly got rid of the shadow of his broken leg and recovered at an astonishing speed. George, who was originally scheduled to take 6 months to walk, got rid of crutches in just 2 months and started upper limb training. By the 5th month, he was able to complete dunks in training.
On April 6, 2015, only 8 months and 247 days after the leg-breaking accident, George made a miraculous comeback. Facing his old rival, the Miami Heat, he came off the bench wearing the No. 13 jersey (originally No. 24) and scored 13 points, announcing his return as a king. Unfortunately, the season was drawing to a close, and George only participated in the last 6 regular season games. Due to the lack of support from core players, the Liuma team ranked 9th in the Eastern Conference that season and failed to enter the playoffs. In the fall of 2015, the Liuma team's lineup underwent major changes. West and Hibber left the team one after another, and George was left with only his old friend George Hill, so the team had to undergo a comprehensive reorganization.
In November 2015, George was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Year, the second time he had won this honor since two years ago. On December 6, in a crucial game, George scored a career-high 48 points, almost single-handedly carrying the entire team. After the injury, George lost some of his defensive movement speed and first-step explosiveness, which seriously affected his one-on-one defense ability. Therefore, he participated more in off-ball running on the defensive end, cut off the opponent's passing route, and was responsible for rebounding. His average rebounds per game reached 7.0 that season, setting a new personal career high.
George's dribbling breakthrough was not at the top level before and after the injury, so he began to develop three-pointers in counterattacks. In the All-Star Game, he made 9 of 19 three-pointers and scored 41 points. It turns out that despite the 8-month break, his shooting level has not declined significantly. Although the Liuma team has made large-scale personnel adjustments, they still arrange tactics around him. Limited by the overall strength, the Liuma team finally ranked 7th in the East and lost to the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs after a fierce seven-game battle. However, George averaged 27.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and two steals throughout the series, becoming the scoring leader of both teams. After the season, he was again selected to the third team of the year and the second defensive team of the year, proving that he is still a top offensive and defensive player in the league. Unfortunately, he lacked enough support around him.
In the 2016-2017 season, George led the Liuma team to face the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. Facing his old rival LeBron James, he averaged 28.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. However, due to the opponent's luxurious lineup consisting of LeBron James, Irvin and Love, the Liuma team was eventually swept out. It is worth mentioning that the score difference in these four games was within 6 points, showing that George tried his best in every game, but still could not change the result. So, in the summer of 2017, George transferred to the Oklahoma City Thunder and joined forces with Westbrook, who had just won the MVP. After the initial adaptation, George ushered in a full-scale outbreak in the 2018-2019 season. In that season, his average data reached 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.21 steals per game, all of which set the highest record in his career. As Westbrook's scoring ability gradually declined due to a knee injury, George became the de facto leader of the Thunder. I wonder if he still remembers the reporter who interviewed him at the draft? At the end of the season, he led the Thunder to a sixth place in the Western Conference and was selected to the All-NBA First Team and the All-Defensive First Team. He ranked third in the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year voting. First Team, First Defense, MVP third and Defensive Player of the Year third marked that George officially reached the peak of his career. It can be said that George was undoubtedly one of the top stars in the league this season.
However, in the first round of the playoffs, the Thunder were eliminated by the Trail Blazers. It was Lillard who sent them away, and he made an incredible buzzer-beating three-pointer from 37 feet away. Faced with such a result, George could only smile bitterly. This was not a good shooting choice. In the summer of 2019, George followed in the footsteps of his former big brother Granger and was traded to the Clippers to form a twin star combination with Lennard. Lennard, a big-handed monster selected by Liu Ma with the 15th pick in the first round 8 years ago, has grown into a top offensive and defensive superstar in the league under the training of the Spurs system, and was crowned king in Beijing the previous year. He can even overshadow George on both offense and defense. However, George didn't care and thought it was not bad to be a second-in-command.
The years in Los Angeles in recent years have not been very good. The twin stars have worked together to bring the Clippers to the Western Conference Finals, setting a historical record. However, in the end, it failed because of Lennard's injury. In fact, since coming to the Clippers, George and Lennard have been suffering from minor injuries as if they were cursed. Lennard even suffered a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee in 2021, which prevented him from playing in the entire 21-22 season. So far, Lennard's regular season attendance rate in the Clippers is only about 50%, and George has just exceeded 60%. But in any case, George, who is healthier than Lennard, must take on more responsibilities. In the past three seasons, George's average assists per game have all exceeded 5 times, while in the first 10 seasons since he entered the industry, the highest value of this data was only 4.1 times. In other words, during the days when Lennard was frequently absent, George grew into a team's ball-holding core at the age of over 30.
This is a skill that he had never developed when Liu Ma was the boss. Starting as a role player, he took advantage of an accidental opportunity to be promoted to the team leader, and then sat firmly in the position of the boss; after falling down due to a serious injury, he quickly recovered and led the team to start all over again with a smile. He reached his personal peak on both offense and defense, led the team to create historical records, and developed organizational skills. Paul George, who might have been ruined by injuries like Rose, Roy, and Oden, eventually forced his own fate to change. He angrily climbed up from the trough of fate and fought all the way. In addition to the championship, he has won everything that can be won. Today's Clippers have the highest total salary in the league and pay the second highest luxury tax in the league. These veterans in the team, Gordon is 34 years old, Battm is 34 years old, Morris is 33 years old, Lanner is 31 years old, and Powell will be 30 years old after the playoffs start. Not long ago, the 34-year-old veteran Westbrook joined them at the minimum salary, and together with George, who is about to turn 33, they are making the final sprint for the championship. Wish them good luck.