Paul George
Nine-time NBA All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection, Paul George is a versatile forward currently playing for the Boston Celtics.
Paul Clifton Anthony George Sr. (born May 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "PG-13", he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and six-time member of the All-NBA Team, as well as a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Two-way wing; franchise cornerstone
- Jersey number
- 13
- Drafted
- 2010 NBA Draft, 10th overall pick
- Pacers tenure
- 2010–2017 (seven seasons)
- Peak playoff run
- 2013 and 2014 Eastern Conference Finals
- All-star selections
- Multiple (consecutive years during Pacers and post-Pacers era)
- All-nba honors
- Multiple All-NBA team selections
Lore & Background
George played high school basketball for Knight High School before playing two seasons of college basketball for the Fresno State Bulldogs. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 10th overall pick of the 2010 NBA draft, and earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors. He was named the NBA Most Improved Player in 2013, when he also earned his first All-Star selection and led the team to their first Eastern Conference Finals trip since 2004. George suffered a broken leg in 2014 while competing for a roster spot on the United States national team for the FIBA Basketball World Cup. He missed most of the 2014–15 season, but recovered to become an All-Star again in 2016, when he also won an Olympic gold medal. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017, and played two seasons for the Thunder before he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019. The Clippers appeared in the playoffs four times during his tenure, including their first trip to the Conference Finals in 2021. George signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2024, where he played until he was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2026.
Reader's Guide
George was born in Los Angeles County in Palmdale, California, and is the son of Paul George and Paulette George. He grew up with two older sisters: Teiosha, who played basketball at Pepperdine, and Portala, who played volleyball at CSU-San Bernardino. George idolized Lakers star Kobe Bryant, and he grew up rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. George spent most of his free time playing basketball at the park or one-on-one against his older sister Teiosha. He attended Knight High School and played for Pump and Run of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) where he played with Jrue Holiday. George attended Knight High School in Palmdale. As a sophomore, he began the season on the JV team and was moved up to varsity after the season started. Recruiters began noticing George during the summer of 2007, when he competed in AAU tournaments. Sensing George's potential, his coach handed him a leading role his senior season. That year, George led Knight to the Golden League championship, and was named the Golden League Most Valuable Player, the Antelope Valley Press Player of the Year, and a member of the Daily News 2007–08 All-Area Boys' basketball team. He ended his senior year averaging 23.2 points and 11.2 rebounds. George was not considered a major prospect by colleges. Rivals.com labeled him as a three-star recruit and ranked him 20th among a class of California prospects that was highlighted by Jrue Holiday and DeMar DeRozan. George verbally committed to Santa Clara, the first school that offered him a scholarship, but he later de-committed from them because his high school coach thought he should keep his options open. After a positive experience attending Teiosha's Midnight Madness event at Pepperdine University, George committed to Pepperdine on August 9, 2007. Midway through his senior season, he de-committed from Pepperdine after coach Vance Walberg resigned from the program. He ultimately chose Fresno State over offers from schools like Georgetown and Penn State because it was closer to home which allowed for his family to watch his games and because he liked the campus. George played two years at California State University, Fresno, more commonly known as Fresno State. In his first game with the Bulldogs, he scored 14 points in a winning effort against Sacramento State.
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