30 Inspiring Facts We Bet You Never Knew About The Fan Favorite Paul George

20 May 2019, 3:48 pm EDT By Ruby Karnick

Paul George, a six-time NBA All-Star and four-time All-NBA Team selection, as well as a three-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team, is currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Here are some simple things to know about the American professional basketball player:

He was born Paul Clifton Anthony George on May 02, 1990, in Palmdale, California, U.S.A. to Paulette and Paul George. He has two older sisters, Teiosha and Portala.
George’s father worked for a rim company and later as a carpenter, while his mother was home maker. He was nicknamed ‘Man’ within the family, learned his tricks of basketball playing one-on-one with his sister Teiosha, the former basketball professional.
He attended Pete Knight High School, that’s when he was introduced to organized basketball. He started his sophomore season with the JV team, but moved to varsity after four or five games.
He came into limelight during the summer following his junior season while playing in a couple of Amateur Athletic Union tournament with Pump and Run team.
In his senior season George averaged 23.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals per game to lead Knight to the Golden League Championship. He was named the Golden League Most Valuable Player and the Antelope Valley Press Player of the Year.
Though he was not considered a major prospect, he had offers from Santa Clara, Pepperdine, Georgetown, Penn State and Arizona State, but he settled for California State University.
As one of the only two Bulldogs freshman to start all 34 games, he averaged 14.3 points, a team high 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and a team-high 1.7 steals per game.
George led the Western Athletic Conference in minutes played with 1,176 and was second in three pointers shooting, converting 63 of 141, for 44.6%, steals with 59 and steals per game with 1.74.
In his sophomore season he became a multi-dimensional scorer and a premier free throw shooter achieving a single-season free throw percentage of 90.9% by converting 120 of 132 free throws.
He ended the 2009-10, season starting in all 29 games he played and averaged 16.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He was named All-WAC Second Team and ranked second in free throw percentage, steals and steals per game.

George was selected as tenth overall pick by Indiana Pacers in the 2010 NBA Draft and signed two years rookie contract worth $3.9 million, with team option for a third and fourth year. He was the highest pick Fresno State history.
He made his debut on October 27, against Spurs and played 61 games averaging 7.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1 steal per game with 20.7 minutes of play time. He was named to the 2011 NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
During the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend he competed in the Slam Dunk Contest and Rising Star Challenge. George did a lights-out 360 windmill dunk and also jumped over two of his teammates towering over 7’ 2”.However he lost the contest to Jeremy Evans.
On November 21, 2012, he recorded then his career high 37 points with nine three-pointers in a victory over New Orleans Hornets, to break the franchise record of most 3-pointers in a single game.
George made it to his first NBA All-Star Game in 2012 for East and recorded 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. Earlier in February 13, he recorded his first career triple-double in the game against Bobcats, registering 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.
He ended the 2012-13, season starting in all 79 games with 37.6 minutes of play time averaging 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. He was named the NBA Most Improved Player with 311 points.
On September 25, 2013, he was named Pacers designated player with contract extension for five years with 30% of the salary cap subject to passing the ‘Derrick Rose’ test.
On December 02, 2013, he scored then a career high 43 points against Portland Trail Blazers while leading Pacers to a 16-2 record. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month, for the first time in his career, for the month of November.
George started in all 80 games of the 2013-14, season averaging 21.7 points, with 6.8 rebounds to lead Pacers to an incredible 56-26 record. He was named to the All-NBA third team and All-Defensive First Team.
On August 01, 2014, as part of United States National Basketball training camp held at Las Vegas, Nevada, George landed awkwardly and suffered a compound fracture of both bones in his lower right leg. He underwent surgery and was out of action for over eight month.

After he publicly criticized the officials in the game against Raptors on October 28, he was fined $10,000. He aired his frustrations to reporters after Pacers lost 99-106, for he felt there were lots of bad calls.
George led the Eastern Conference and was ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring at 27.2 point per game in the first half of the 2015-16, season to lead Pacers to 11 of 13 games after a quiet 0-3 start. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for October and November.
In the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, he scored 41 points for the Eastern Conference, finishing one point shy of the All-Star record set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962.
He was part of United States national team which won the gold medal at 2016 Rio Olympics, defeating Serbia, 96-66, for its fifteenth title. It was his first Olympics.
George averaged an NBA high of 32.8 points and added 8.2 rebounds with 4.5 assists to record a 5-1 result in April and helped Pacers recover to end the year 42-40 for a play-off spot. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for games played in April.
On July 6, 2017, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, despite his pending free agent status the following year.
A year later on July 06, he re-signed with Thunder for a four-year contract worth $137 million and helped it to reverse its fortune from 0-4 at start of the season to 7-4. George led the defensive charge with six steals apart from registering 20 points and 11 rebounds for its seventh win on November 08.
On February 22, he scored 45 points and hit the game-winning floater with 0.8 seconds left in the second overtime to lift the Thunder to a 148-147 win over the Jazz. He was named Western Conference Player of the Month for February.
George has established as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. According to Coach Brian Shaw, he is the best two-way player in the game and Pablo S. Torre of ESPN to dub him the NBA’s most anomalous superstar.
George was in relationship with Callie Rivers, Daniela Rajic, Jessica Burciaga, and Destiny Marie Hatcher. He eventually got back together with Rajic in 2017 and on November 1, 2017, Rajic gave birth to their second daughter, Natasha. His first daughter Olivia George was born on May 1, 2014.