A horrible leg injury threatened to derail Paul George's entire career. Now, he's on the cusp of an early comeback, thanks to a sunny disposition that's carried him through his rehabilitation.
NEW YORK -- Paul George is in New York City, but he's far from the spotlight that nearly swallowed him whole 12 months ago.
The Indiana Pacer sits on a stool at a nightclub near Madison Square Park in Manhattan. He's here to explain why he became the second NBA player to design his own custom line of New Era Caps (James Harden is the other). A designer walks the room through several prototypes before creating one on the spot on his laptop. George watches intently, intrigued that someone could replicate his new PG-13 moniker on a hat.
Earlier, his peers took turns noting George's absence from Sunday's All-Star Game.
"I know, [it's weird]," said Klay Thompson, George's former AAU teammate. "He's a definite All-Star. He is one of the bright stars in the game."
"It is a little weird," Team USA companion Kyrie Irving said about George not joining him on the All-Star team. "Obviously, we all took a little hit from that. We won the gold medal for PG. What he brings to the game, his versatility, is definitely missed. When we go to Indiana, obviously seeing him not out there is weird."
"Everybody I'm sure wishes that Paul George could be healthy and could be playing and competing at an All-Star level," East coach Mike Budenholzer said. "It would be great to have him here."
They speak about George like he suffered a through a horrible ordeal, which he had. Six months ago, George's right leg nearly shattered in two as he tried a chasedown block in a Team USA scrimmage. It was one of the worst injuries in recent history, a moment so gruesome that the game was halted on the spot and several teammates either quit or thought about quitting the team.
Yet there is no self-pity in George's mannerisms. His right leg bobs around the stool as if there was never anything wrong with it. After his designer creates a hat with his logo, he shakes his head like a fan in awe of a 360 dunk. "That looks good. This guy's good."
George's disposition makes sense. His rehabilitation has moved quicker than expected -- he's already participating in full-contact, half-court drills and hopes to advance to full-court in the next couple weeks. He's already talking about returning in March, far ahead of the original schedule.
"If it starts getting too late in the season and my first couple of games happen to be in the playoffs, that's just putting too much pressure and stress on myself," George says in an interview after the panel. "So, I want to get a couple games under my belt."
This is not where many expected him to be last August.
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How did Paul George put himself so close to an early return from such a terrible injury? Relentless positivity.
A lost season in his prime became an opportunity to "be able to just lift, work out and train for a full year." Time out of the spotlight became one where he "almost became more famous" because "now [fans] are approaching me and checking on my well-being." A grueling rehab that fills any normal person with crippling self-doubt became "an easy breeze process." Extended down time because he can't play became a chance to cram both seasons of Orange is the New Black in two days. (George's friend turned him on to Sons of Anarchy, but Empire is his current show of choice).
But even George needed moments of reassurance during his recovery. The first came a week after he went under the knife. Being confined to a hospital bed and later forced to rest was difficult and it wasn't until he limped into a gym several days later that his outlook began to change. He couldn't run or jump, but he could do certain workouts and at least shoot set shots. That session gave him the confidence he projected in his first press conference two weeks after the injury, when he strongly assured reporters that his shattered leg was just a "bump in the road."
"That's how I was able to kind of shift my whole mind from depression to being almost excited about the whole process," George says now.
The second came early in the season. Worried that an opponent (or teammate) would accidentally dive into his leg chasing a loose ball, the Pacers prohibited George from sitting on the bench with his teammates. He instead was in the press box until his leg improved, which is how Young Treece, PR Intern happened.
"I remember to start out, I wasn't even able to sit on the bench because of the threat of opposing players or even our players flying at the bench and I wouldn't be able to escape quick enough," George says. "So I remember my first moment sitting on the bench. It was a crazy feeling."
The third came more recently. Most know about Pacers president Larry Bird saying the Pacers wouldn't stand in George's way when he felt ready to play. Few realize that George wasn't having one of his best rehab days when Bird talked.
"The interview before that, watching me hobble around, it was like, 'No way in hell is Paul George going to make time the way he's looking,'" George says. "It was definitely positive for me to hear [Bird] put a date to where I can return. It not only makes me feel better, but it shows he thinks I'm looking a lot better."
These may seem like minor milestones, but George says they gave him a big boost. Because he embraced the process, he's now close to playing in an actual NBA game seven months after his leg shattered.
"This was the greatest publicity stunt I could ever do," George jokes, smiling wide.
At least I think he was kidding.
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