30 Fascinating Facts About Paul George You Might Have Missed Before

Paul George, nicknamed “PG-13” and “Playoff-P,” is a seven-time NBA All-Star and six-time member of the All-NBA Team. He is currently playing as a small forward for the Los Angeles Clippers. He is known for his incredible strides and unmatchable moves in the matches, which has made him a remarkable player. Here are some really interesting facts about the basketball player that will make you love him more:

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1.  On July 10, 2019, the Thunder traded George to the Los Angeles Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round draft picks, and the rights to swap two other first round picks.
2.  He made his Clippers debut on November 14, 2019, in the game against the New Orleans Pelicans, scoring 33 points in a 132–127 loss.
3.  On December 10, 2020, George signed a four-year, $190 million contract extension with the Clippers, shortly after earning the nickname “Pandemic P” in online forums.
4.  He was invited to sit in the green room during the draft and was selected tenth overall by the Indiana Pacers, making him the highest NBA draft pick in Fresno State history.
5.  He signed his rookie contract with the Pacers on July 1, 2010; a two-year guaranteed deal worth $3.9 million, with team options for a third and fourth year.
6.  Paul Clifton Anthony George was born on May 2, 1990 to Paul George and Paulette George in Los Angeles County in Palmdale, California.
7.  He has two older sisters – Teiosha George and Portala George. Teiosha played basketball at Pepperdine and Portala played volleyball at CSU-San Bernardino.
8.  He grew up idolizing Lakers star Kobe Bryant, rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.
9.  During his childhood days, he spent most of his free time playing basketball at the park or one-on-one against his older sister Teiosha.
10.  He attended Knight High School in Palmdale. In fact, he did not play organized basketball until his freshman year at Knight High School.

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11.  Under head coach Tom Hegre, he played for the varsity basketball team in his last three years of high school.
12.  In his sophomore year, he started the season on the JV team, but was later moved to the varsity. He was the only non-senior on the varsity team starting lineup in his junior year.
13.  He competed in AAU tournaments during the summer of 2007, through which he garnered the attention of recruiters. With his potential, he was handed a leading role in senior season by his head coach.
14.  He successfully led Knight to the Golden League championship, and was named the Golden League Most Valuable Player, the Antelope Valley Press Player of the Year.
15.  Despite his performance, he was not considered a major prospect by colleges, with Rivals.com labeling him as a three-star recruit.
16.  Initially, he verbally committed to Santa Clara, the very first school which offered him a scholarship, but then de-committed as his coach wanted him to keep his options open.
17.  Following a positive experience attending Teiosha's Midnight Madness event at Pepperdine University, he committed to Pepperdine,
18.  However, he de-committed just half way through his senior season, when coach Vance Walberg resigned from the program.
19.  George finally chose Fresno State over offers from schools like Georgetown and Penn State, and played two years for them. In his first game with the Bulldogs, he scored 14 points in a winning effort against Sacramento State.
20.  During the 2009 WAC Tournament, in the match against the top-seeded Utah State Aggies, he forced a career-high 5 steals and finished with a team-high 16 points.

"Paul George 0015 Brenda Staples Photography" by Towne Post Network is licensed under CC BY 2.0

21.  In his sophomore season, he was named the most entertaining player in the West region and the eighth most entertaining player in college basketball by Sports Illustrated in their list of the "Top 16 Most Entertaining Players in College Basketball."
22.  He entered the 2010 NBA Draft, forgoing his final two seasons of college eligibility and was predicted to be selected as 12th overall by Memphis Grizzlies.
23.  During the 2011 Playoffs, George was one of only two rookies from the 2010 NBA Draft to be in the starting lineup for his team.
24.  He made nine three-pointers en route to a career-high 37 points in a victory against the New Orleans Hornets on November 21, 2012.
25.  The nine 3-pointers broke the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a single game, surpassing Hall of Famer Reggie Miller.
26.  During the 2014 off-season, George was named to the training camp roster for the US national team that would represent the country at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.
27.  But he suffered a compound fracture of both bones in his lower right leg, during a Las Vegas scrimmage, and went into surgery.
28.  On July 6, 2017, George was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. The exchange happened in spite of his stated preference to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
29.  In his debut for the Thunder in their season opener on October 19, 2017, George scored a team-high 28 points in a 105–84 win over the New York Knicks.
30.  On February 11, 2019, he recorded his third career triple-double with 47 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a 120–111 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
31.  Paul George Net Worth: $90 Million