Three weeks of preparation, two weeks of competition and one sweet moment of golden glory have been the whirlwind of Paul George‘s summer.
The Indiana Pacers swingman refused to give up hope after a crushing injury suffered at the white versus blue scrimmage before departing for the FIBA World Championships in 2014.
George suffered compound fractures to both of his bones in the lower right leg, rendering him unable to travel with the team and forcing him to miss the vast majority of the 2014-15 NBA season.
Titanium screws were inserted in his leg to stabilize it, leading to an eight-month long recovery process.
PG13 seemed a shadow of himself in the six games he played at the end of the season, averaging 8.8 points per game in 15 minutes of play.
During the 2015-2016 season, George enjoyed career highs in scoring, free-throws made, assists and steals per game, playing 81 out of 82 games — a sign that he was back for good.
This summer, the once-again All-Star decided to battle some demons and be part of Team USA's Olympic Team, an opportunity that saw him flourish.
“I just finalized this whole story, put it to rest,” George said, according to David Woods of the Indy Star. “I'm officially back.”
The Fresno State product was a key cog off the bench for coach Mike Krzyzewski‘s team, providing a well-rounded offensive game and an impeccable defensive outing all tournament long.
“The fact is, you look back a couple of years and (Paul George is) lying on a floor in Las Vegas, not knowing whether his career was over,” said USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo. “Let alone being able to make our team, participate and get a gold medal. It's a big day for him.”
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