| |
| George during pre-game warmups prior to a Clippers game in June 2021. | |
| No. 8 — Philadelphia 76ers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Small Forward |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 2, 1990 |
| Palmdale, California | |
| Listed height: | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight: | 220 lbs (100 kg) |
| National Basketball Association career | |
| Debut: 2010 for the Indiana Pacers | |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Knight (CA) |
| College: | Fresno State |
| NBA Draft: | 2010 / Rnd: 1 / Pck: 10th |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: Active | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Medals | |
| Men's basketball | |
Representing the  United States
| |
| Olympic Games | |
 Gold
|
2016 Rio de Janeiro |
Paul Clifton Anthony George (born May 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "PG-13", he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and six-time member of the All-NBA Team, as well as a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team.
George played high school basketball for Knight High School before playing two seasons of college basketball for the Fresno State Bulldogs. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 10th overall pick of the 2010 NBA draft, and earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors. He was named the NBA Most Improved Player in 2013, when he also earned his first All-Star selection.
George suffered a broken leg in 2014 while competing for a roster spot on the United States national team for the FIBA Basketball World Cup. He missed most of the 2014–15 season, but recovered to become an All-Star again in 2016, when he also won an Olympic gold medal. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017, and played two seasons for the Thunder before he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019. The Clippers appeared in the playoffs four times during his tenure, including their first trip to the Conference Finals in 2021.
Professional career[]
Indiana Pacers (2010–2017)[]
2010–2011 season[]
George was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in the 2010 NBA Draft as the 10th overall pick. On October 27, George made his NBA debut against the San Antonio Spurs, playing 23 minutes and scoring 4 points on 1–5 shooting. In a game against the Washington Wizards, he knocked down five three-pointers and finished with a then-career-high 23 points.
2011–2012 season[]
Paul George scored in double-figures in 30 of his first 40 games of the season. He recorded 108 steals, which ranked sixth in the league and was just one of the two Indiana players to top 100 steals in the last five seasons.
NBA All-Star Break (2012)[]
Paul George played and scored 23 points for the victorious Team Chuck in the Rising Stars Challenge and participated in the Sprite Slam-Dunk Contest.
2012–2013 season[]
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2013–2014 season[]
George with the Pacers in 2014.
2014–2015 season[]
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2015–2016 season[]
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2016-17 season[]
In the 2016–17 season, Paul George led the Pacers to a 42-40 record averaging 23 points per game. He led them to the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference and lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2017–2019)[]
After the 2016-17 season, Paul George was traded to the Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.
Los Angeles Clippers (2019–2024)[]
2019–20 season[]
On July 10, 2019, the Thunder traded George to the Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round draft picks, and the rights to swap two other first round picks.
After missing the first eleven games of the regular season recovering from shoulder surgery, George made his Clippers debut on November 14, 2019, against the New Orleans Pelicans, scoring 33 points in a 132–127 loss. Two days later, in his home debut against the Atlanta Hawks, George put up 37 points in just 20 minutes in a 150–101 victory. On December 9, George made his return to Indiana and recorded 36 points and nine rebounds in a 110–99 win over his former team in the Indiana Pacers. Four days later, George scored a season-high 46 points in a 124–117 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he and Kawhi Leonard became the first duo in Clippers history to each score 40 points in a single game with Leonard scoring 42.
During the 2020 NBA Playoffs, which took place in Orlando, Florida, following the Suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season, George drew frequent criticism from NBA fans and media for his inconsistent performance. In 13 playoff games, George averaged 20.2 points per game, his lowest scoring average in the playoffs since his third season in the NBA, while shooting 39.8% from the field, marking the fourth time in his career he shot below 40% in the playoffs. George in particular was blamed for the Clippers' second round loss to the Denver Nuggets, in which the team squandered a 3–1 series lead, becoming the 12th team in NBA history to do so. In Game 7 against the Nuggets, George only scored 10 points on 25% shooting and failed to score in the 4th quarter. George's dismal performance in Game 7 included one memorable miss on a three-point shot attempt in which the ball hit the side of the backboard. In online forums, such as the social media website Twitter, George garnered the nickname "Pandemic P," which is an ironic reference to the "Playoff P" nickname that George infamously christened himself with a few years prior when he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
2020–21 season[]
On December 10, 2020, George signed a four-year $190 million contract extension with the Clippers. On December 22, George scored 33 points, 26 of which being in the second half, to lead the Clippers to a 116–109 season-opening victory over the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. In a Game 6 conference semifinals victory over the top-seeded Utah Jazz, George recorded 28 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, leading the Clippers to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history, but lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games.
2021-22 season[]
On October 29, 2021, George scored a season-high 42 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a 92–111 defeat at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers. On December 6, during a 102–90 win over the Trail Blazers, George sprained his elbow and missed the next five games before returning to the lineup in a 92–116 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on December 20. On December 25, the Clippers announced that George had suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. He was ruled out for at least 3-to-4 weeks. On March 29, 2022, his first game back from injury, George scored 34 points, delivered six assists along with four steals in a 121–115 comeback victory over the Utah Jazz. On April 9, George tied his career best with 12 assists and added 23 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals in a 117–98 win over the Sacramento Kings.
2022-23 season[]
On October 22, 2022, George scored 40 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and delivered 6 assists in an 111–109 win over the Sacramento Kings. It was the 20th time in his career that he scored 40 points, including the playoffs, and his fifth as a member of the Clippers. On October 31, George put up 35 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, six steals, and two blocks, alongside a game-winner in a 95–93 win over the Houston Rockets. On December 14, George recorded his 4th career triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a 99–88 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. On December 31, George scored a season-high 45 points, along with 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in a 131–130 loss against his former team, the Indiana Pacers.
On March 5, 2023, George posted 42 points and 11 rebounds in a 135–129 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. On March 21, he suffered a right leg injury in a 101–100 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder with 4:38 remaining in the game. The next day, the Clippers announced that George was diagnosed with a right knee sprain and would be re-evaluated in two-to-three weeks, ending his regular season run.
2023-24 season: Final season with the Clippers[]
On October 28, 2023, George scored 36 points and went 15 for 15 from the free-throw line in a 120–118 loss against the Utah Jazz. On December 2, George recorded 25 points, six rebounds, six assists, and a game-winning three-pointer in a 113–112 win over the Golden State Warriors.
On January 12, 2024, George scored 37 points on 12-of-18 shooting, 7-of-10 from three, 6-of-6 from the free throw line in a 128–119 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. On January 16, George scored a then season-high 38 points on 15-of-24 shooting and 6-of-12 from three with seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and zero turnovers in a 128–117 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Clippers were trailing by 13 by the start of the third quarter, and George scored 11 out of the final 14 points for the Clippers.
On April 1, George scored a season-high 41 points against the Charlotte Hornets on 14-of-21 shooting, going 8-of-12 from three and 5-of-5 from the free throw line in a 130–118 win. On April 7, George scored 39 points with 23 in the fourth quarter, along with 11 rebounds and seven assists in a 120–118 win with George making the go-ahead bucket followed by a block in the final play. The Clippers were trailing by 26 points which marked the greatest comeback in franchise history.
In game 3 of the first round of the 2024 playoffs against Dallas Mavericks, George shot 3-of-11 and ended the game with 7 points with 5 fouls in a loss. In the following game, George had 33 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals with 26 points coming from the first half and a go-ahead corner 3-pointer in the late fourth quarter. The Clippers lost the series to the Mavericks 4–2.
Philadelphia 76ers (2024–present)[]
On July 1, 2024, George agreed on a 4-year, $212 million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. With each of his previous jersey numbers, 24 and 13, being retired by the franchise, George elected to wear the jersey number 8 as a tribute to Kobe Bryant.