There will be several former Indiana Pacers greats in Indianapolis who will be celebrated during the upcoming 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend. Reggie Miller, the Pacers’ all-time leading scorer, should get the most love. Other former Pacers greats like Rik Smits, Detlef Schrempf, Metta World Peace, Roy Hibbert, Brad Miller, Bob Netolicky, Billy Knight and Dale Davis are also expected to be there, too.
Current Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton will be in the starting lineup as an Eastern Conference All-Star. And once the name Paul George is announced for the Western Conference on Sunday night, it’s inevitable that Pacers fans will reflect on his successful time in Indiana and perhaps wonder, “What if?”
“Nowadays we get the fans who get to let their voices be heard a little bit more,” said West All-Star forward Kevin Durant, who plays for the Phoenix Suns, to Andscape. “They only value players that play for them for the duration of their career. In some respect, if you weren’t good enough and you somehow move on, that’s when you get respect amongst the fanbase. But if you leave and you’re still pretty good then that takes away from what you did there.
“In Paul George’s case, he wanted to leave so people forget about his time there. He’s a Pacer legend. Pacer great. All-time great in Pacer history. So hopefully they show him some love.”
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George quickly became a star for the Pacers after being selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft out of Fresno State. The 6-foot-8, 220-pounder averaged 18.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game over seven seasons in Indianapolis. A broken leg suffered while playing for USA Basketball limited him to six games with the Pacers during the 2014-15 season. The 2013 NBA Most Improved Player made four of his nine All-Star appearances with Indiana.
George also made six playoff appearances in seven seasons, averaging 19 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 65 postseason games. Most notably during George’s tenure, the Pacers lost in a deciding Game 7 of the 2013 Eastern Conference finals to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat.
“My time there was great. I enjoyed it. I grew up, I learned a lot. They allowed me to grow as a player,” George said.
In 2017, the Pacers were swept in the first round of the playoffs by James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The expectation was that George would depart the Pacers to sign as an unrestricted free agent to play in his hometown of Los Angeles in the summer of 2018. The Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets reportedly had interest, too.
But on June 30, 2017, the Pacers dealt George out West in a trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder for guard Victor Oladipo and center Domantas Sabonis. In an Instagram post after the trade, George thanked the Pacers and Indiana and added that “you’ll be in great hands in the future!” Just over two years ago, the Pacers acquired Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings in a six-player deal that included Sabonis.
“My time to move on was just [because] I didn’t think I was where I wanted to be in my career. Getting legitimate shots to win didn’t align with the organization. I just think I knew that was when it was my time to go,” George said.
The Indianapolis Star listed George as the fourth greatest Pacer of all-time in a 2023 story. The Pacers have retired the jerseys of such former players as Miller, George McInnis, Mel Daniels and Roger Brown. Should a projected Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer in George have either his No. 24 or 13 jersey he wore with the Pacers retired when his NBA days are done?
While George would be ecstatic to get his jersey retired one day by the Pacers, he is uncertain if he merits such immortality.
“Honestly, you think about the guys, there’s only what, [four] guys that’s retired there,” George said. “But when you think about, again, the guys that are up there, Reggie, what, 18 years? I think for them it’s a longevity that stands out in that arena. I just didn’t play enough play long enough there.
“If they look back years and years down the line, just how special that group was while I was there… Hopefully, Tyrese can get them there. But if they don’t get to where we got to in 15, 20 years, then they might look at that as a special time. Tyrese will do great things there and hopefully they surround him with talent to get him to where he needs to get to. And then it won’t even be a thought to get my jersey up there.”
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Now with the Clippers, George appears to have the best opportunity to win a title of his NBA career. The Clippers entered Wednesday with the third-best record in the Western Conference at 35-17. Los Angeles also has two All-Stars in George and Kawhi Leonard. George and the Clippers visit the Golden State Warriors on ESPN tonight (10 p.m. ET) in their final game before the NBA All-Star Break.
The Clippers also have several players from the Los Angeles area in George, Leonard, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Norman Powell. While the storied Lakers have won 17 NBA titles, George and the Clippers are seeking the first in franchise history. George said that he and his teammates don’t need to talk about how much it would mean to give the Clippers their first title.
“We know what is at stake and all individually know how sweet it be if we can bring one here and be the first ones to do it,” George said. “It’s kind of one of those things that you just know. The writing is on the wall. We know how big and important the s— is to us. It’s not moreso we talk about it; we all know.”
George says returning to play in Indianapolis in the NBA All-Star Game is “special” because it is where his pro career began. He’s hopeful that the Pacers fans will treat him special, too.
“People still give me love,” George said. “It’s one of those things where they are very scared to say it in your face. But when it’s a crowd and I can’t pinpoint and find out who’s booing, they’ll do it. But when I’m out in the streets, if I’m at a restaurant, it’s one on one, it’s, ‘Oh we miss you. Come back.’ I hear that, but it’s still love here. Some of the organization people I’m forever grateful to and I’m happy to have crossed paths with them in my career.”
