By this point, anyone who hasn’t at least heard (because I don’t advise seeing) about Paul George‘s injury has been living under a rock. During the fourth quarter of the Team USA scrimmage, the Indiana Pacers guard suffered one of the most gruesome injuries in sports history, breaking his leg on a block attempt.
The immediate aftermath saw NBA players and athletes across all sports flood to Twitter and social media to show their support of George. A California native, George has many ties to the LA area and multiple Lakers reached out to wish the best and a speedy recovery.
Praying for PG
— Ed Davis (@eddavisXVII) August 2, 2014
"Prayers up for Paul George.. Get well soon bro"
Praying for my dude paul_george24 I hate seeing stuff like that man http://t.co/SEiJusu9tw
— Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) August 2, 2014
Sick to my stomach for Paul George. He's tough as nails though. He'll be back big time.
— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) August 2, 2014
Spoke with @Paul_George24 devastating injury to say the least but he has my full support on twitter and off #here4U
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) August 3, 2014
The players on the court during the scrimmage provided the most vivid and telling reactions, with multiple players breaking down into tears on the court. Following the injury, USA coach Mike Krzyzewski called off the remainder of the scrimmage.
Despite not being directly affiliated with the Lakers, the brotherhood of the NBA is strong. George has openly stated that Kobe Bryant was one of his idols growing up, while Nick Young and George had been working out together this summer.
The early prognosis on the injury, and based on comments from George’s father, is that George will likely miss the 2014-15 season. The news couldn’t be more devastating to George and the Pacers as the four-year veteran was expected to take a big step forward following the departure of Lance Stephenson.
Now, the Pacers will have a big decision. With their competitive window quickly slamming shut, the team may hang on in hopes of one last run next year with a healthy George, or may enter a short rebuild period given their circumstances.
Lakers fans are all too familiar with the pain Pacers fans are experiencing. Considering that we’re on the tail end of Bryant’s long rehab for multiple injuries, we sure know what it’s like to see your superstar crumble to the floor.
We here at Lake Show Life wish George the best.