Paul Clifton Anthony George or ‘PG13’ is an American professional basketball player who plays as a shooting guard for the LA Clippers. PG is one of the most gifted players in the league due to his size, skill, and athleticism due to which he is often compared to NBA legend, Tracy McGrady. He stands at 6’9” with a 6’11” wingspan. His elite physical tools have allowed him to become one of the NBA’s elite two-way players. Although he broke his leg, he has bounced back to become a superstar in the NBA.
PG was born on May 2, 1990 in Palmdale, California. He played his high school basketball for Knight High School in Palmdale where he averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds during his senior season. After a series of decommitments, George finally decided to play for the Fresno State Bulldogs. He played there for two seasons after which he declared for the 2010 NBA Draft.
The Indiana Pacers selected Paul George with the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. PG had a decent rookie season and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He made steady progress in his sophomore season but broke out in the 2012-2013 season due to an increased role in the offense. He was selected as an all-star for the first time and won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. The 2013 and 2014 seasons would be a success for PG and the Pacers as he would make All-NBA Teams and led the team to the eastern conference finals two years running.
During the 2014 offseason, he suffered a compound fracture on his right leg in a Team USA scrimmage. Even after this setback, he bounced back and was selected as an all-star and to the All-NBA teams during the 2015-2016 season.
Before the commencement of the 2017-2018 NBA Season, PG was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder where he teamed up with Russell Westbrook. He would enjoy his best statistical seasons as a player, even finishing third in the MVP voting for the 2018-2019 season. Even though PG was performing at an MVP level, both his seasons ended in the first round of the playoffs. After the end of the 2019 NBA Season, both PG and Russ requested trades.
PG was traded to the LA Clippers and teamed up with fellow California native, Kawhi Leonard. He suffered from a shoulder injury due to which he missed a chunk of the 2019-2020 NBA Regular Season. During the 2020 NBA Playoffs, PG had a forgettable postseason run in the Bubble. He infamously hit the side of the backboard during game seven against the Denver Nuggets due to which he was christened by the NBA community as ‘Way Off P’ and ‘Pandemic P’. These nicknames were given with reference to George calling himself ‘Playoff P’ a few seasons earlier.
He bounced back during the 2020-2021 season, leading the Kawhi-less Clippers to the western conference finals. He was named to an All-NBA Team after a one year hiatus.
With the Team USA Men's Basketball Team, he won a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
| Award/Accolade | Year | Team |
| NBA All-Star | 7 times (2013, 2014, 2016-2019, 2021) | Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers |
| All-NBA First Team | 2019 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| All-NBA Third Team | 5 times (2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021) | Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers |
| NBA All-Defensive First Team | 2014, 2019 | Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder |
| NBA All-Defensive Second Team | 2013, 2016 | Indiana Pacers |
| NBA All-Rookie Second Team | 2011 | Indiana Pacers |
| NBA Most Improved Player of the Year | 2013 | Indiana Pacers |
| NBA Steals Leader | 2019 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
PG has amassed a net worth of $90 million over his 11 year career. His current NBA Contract will pay him $39,344,900 through the 2021-2022 NBA Season. Paul George earns around $8.5 million through endorsements. His first signature shoe, the PG1, was released by Nike in 2017. He was also on the cover of NBA 2K17. His endorsements include New Era, Bass Pro Shops, Foot Locker, Gatorade, Nike.
PG was born in Palmdale, California to Paul George Sr. and Paulette George. He has two sisters named Portala and Teoisha. He is engaged to Daniela Rajic with whom he has two children- Olivia and Natasha. The couple are expecting a third child.
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