Former Pacer Paul George Returns to Indiana Tuesday Night With Clippers
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Paul George makes his fourth career visit to Indiana on Tuesday night as a player for another team. George, a former All-Star for the Pacers, is averaging 28.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in those three games playing as a Bankers Life Fieldhouse visitor.
Now he's with the Los Angeles Clippers, and on the season as a whole, he is averaging 23.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.
On June 30, 2017, the Pacers traded George to Oklahoma City. The deal appeared to be a massive win for the Thunder and a significant loss for the Pacers at the time. However, looking back, the Pacers ultimately won the trade in a big way in the eyes of many.
The Thunder only had George for two seasons, and they had two first-round exits in the playoffs before trading him to the Clippers in 2019. But in return, the Pacers acquired Domantas Sabonis, an All-Star in each of the past two seasons, and Victor Oladipo, a two-time All-Star for the Pacers who was traded in a deal this season that brought the team 26-year-old rising star Caris LeVert.
George is almost 31 years old now, but started his career as a 20-year-old after the Pacers drafted him 10th overall in 2010. During his seven years in Indiana, he was a four-time All-Star and made the playoffs six times, including two back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference finals in 2012 and 2013.
He also suffered a gruesome leg injury before the 2014-15 season during Team USA play that kept him sidelined for most of the season. Remarkably, he picked up right where he left off the following season and made four straight trips to the All-Star game, including two with the Thunder.
While George brought the Pacers a sense of relevance during his time in Indianapolis, his exit was ugly. Things became clear that he did not want to be there for the foreseeable future, and his departure left many Pacers fans feeling angry. In his first game back, there were loud boos.
While Bankers Life Fieldhouse only allows 25% capacity for Tuesday's game, there are likely to be many fans still voicing their displeasure with how things ended in Indiana for George and the Pacers.
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- HOW TO WATCH: Here's everything you need to know on Tuesday night's game between the Pacers and the Los Angeles Clippers, including gametime, TV, point spread and keys to the game. CLICK HERE
