Paul George ponders Pacers legacy and jersey retirement amid Tyrese Haliburton's emergence

NBA All-Star Paul George spent seven seasons playing for the Indiana Pacers early in his career. In a recent interview, he hoped when everything is said and done, his time at the organization is looked back at favourably, considering the success they enjoyed. However, he is not sure if his tenure at Indiana is good enough to merit a jersey retirement.

‘PG’ was made to revisit his stint with the Pacers as he is set to go back to Indianapolis this weekend for the All-Star Game, representing the LA Clippers.

Speaking to Marc Spears, senior NBA writer for ESPN and Andscape, the 14-year NBA veteran recounted the solid runs while he was still donning the Pacers colors. That included back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference finals against LeBron James and the Miami Heat in 2013 and 2014, a hurdle they couldn't clear on both occasions.

He believes the Pacers really value longevity, gsince they have mainly retired the jerseys of their long-standing servants. The Fresno State product said:

“Honestly, you think about the guys, there’s only what, [four] guys that’s retired there. But when you think about, again, the guys that are up there, Reggie [Miller], what, 18 years? I think for them it’s a longevity that stands out in that arena. I just didn’t play enough, play long enough there.”

Paul George said he is happy the Pacers were able to get a player like Haliburton to try and achieve what they were not able to do during his time there. He hoped Tyrese Haliburton gets the pieces he needs around him to take the team to the next level, saying:

“If they look back years and years down the line, just how special that group was while I was there… Hopefully, Tyrese can get them there. But if they don’t get to where we got to in 15, 20 years, then they might look at that as a special time…”

“Tyrese will do great things there and hopefully they surround him with talent to get him to where he needs to get to. And then it won’t even be a thought to get my jersey up there.”

Led by former 12th overall pick Haliburton, who the Pacers acquired in a trade midway into the 2021-22 NBA season with the Sacramento Kings, the Pacers are enjoying a solid campaign. They currently hold a 30-25 record with the All-Star guard leading the charge with numbers of 21.9 points, 11.7 assists (NBA-best) and 3.9 rebounds.

What did Paul George while with the Indiana Pacers?

Paul George was selected 10th overall in the 2010 NBA Rookie Draft by the Indiana Pacers, where he played for seven seasons and set the foundation for his All-Star NBA career.

He saw limited time in his rookie year but after that his ascent was not to be stopped.

In his third season, he was named NBA most improved player (2013) and was selected for his first All-Star Game. It was the first selection of four he would have as a member of Indiana.

He also earned spots in the All-NBA Team and All-NBA Defensive Team during his Pacers run.

In the same interview, Paul George spoke of his time with the Pacers:

“My time there was great. I enjoyed it. I grew up, I learned a lot. They allowed me to grow as a player.”

Paul George’s tenure with Indiana ended in June 2017, when upon his request to be traded, he was dealt to the OKC Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.