In 2014, during a Team USA exhibition game, Indiana Pacers star forward Paul George suffered a horrific leg injury that sidelined him for over a year. Two years later, he is back on the same gym practicing as Team USA prepares for the Olympic Games in Rio.
The "injury," as George refers to it now, was a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula bones; which basically means his whole leg snapped. After missing most of the NBA season after the injury, he came back fully healthy last season and made the All-Star team and All-NBA Third team, while averaging over 23 points per game and leading the Pacers back into the playoffs. The Pacers almost upset the second-see Toronto Raptors, bringing them to a deciding Game Seven, mostly due to George's fine play.
During the first practice of Team USA for the Rio Olympics, in a report picked up by SB Nation, George admitted that coming back to the same gym where the injury happened made him "a little nervous" but declared that it will not hinder him in playing for his country. He stressed that his desire to win a gold medal for his country is his ultimate motivation for wanting to join Team USA again.
USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo spoke proudly of the swingman. According to ESPN, Colangelo described George's comeback as "one of the great stories of this group." He detailed the process of the injury occurring, followed by his late 2015 comeback, to last season's performance with the Pacers, then coming back to scrimmage with Team USA. "It's like he didn't miss a beat," Colangelo said.
George himself declared that he is "100 percent" fit and the burden of the injury is gone, both physically and mentally. He vowed that the injury is "behind" him and that all he's focused on is preparing for a gold medal.
George will be tasked upon to hold down the small forward position with Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony after LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard both declined to participate in this year's Olympics. The United States is bracketed with France, Venezuela, Serbia, China and Australia in Group A in the tournament that begins on August 6.