Thursday marks the first time Paul George will play against his former team, the Indiana Pacers, who he played for the past seven seasons. That said, it’s expected that the fans inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse will not give him the warmest of welcomes, especially with how things ended between him and the team.

It did not take long for the Indiana faithful to let George know how they feel about him, as he was immediately heckled and booed while walking out of the tunnel. A fan even reminded him of the time he wanted to their next Reggie Miller, and even went as far as calling him a “traitor.”

It can be recalled that George informed the Pacers front office last season that he planned to test free agency once his contract expires, and that he prefers to play for his hometown team, the Los Angeles Lakers. To avoid seeing him leave and not receive anything in return, they were forced to trade him, and eventually accepted the Oklahoma City Thunder’s offer.

With all the emotions involved even before the game has started, it can be expected that there will be more boos for the four-time All-Star forward, and that the atmosphere inside the arena will most likely remain hostile throughout the night. However, it could also backfire on the home team as well, as it could fire up George and bring out the best in him on the night.