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Indiana Pacers: Paul George Viewing 2016 Olympics as “redemption”

By Garrett Hagan

Jul 20, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USA forward Paul George (13) and head coach Mike Krzyzewski and assistant coach Monty Williams talk during a practice at Mendenhall Center. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 20, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USA forward Paul George (13) and head coach Mike Krzyzewski and assistant coach Monty Williams talk during a practice at Mendenhall Center. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports /
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Indiana Pacers forward Paul George is set to represent Team USA in the 2016 Olympics just two years shy of his leg injury. Now fully healthy, George looks to redeem himself in this year’s games in Rio.

The Indiana Pacers’ 2014-15 season was all but over before it had even started on the night of August 1st, 2014. George — the team’s franchise player — suffered a gruesome leg injury after chasing down James Harden on a block, landing awkwardly and severely fracturing his leg.

Originally after the injury had occurred, it had been speculated that George would miss the entirety of the 2014 NBA Season — a low blow to a team that had already lost guard Lance Stephenson to the Charlotte Hornets that summer via free agency.

George’s leg would end up healing quicker than originally thought — allowing him to appear in the Pacers’ last six games of the season. Without George for 76 games in 2014, the Pacers finished with a 38-44 record and missed out on the playoffs.

Fast forward one year later, and the Pacers nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2016 NBA Playoffs, when they forced the 2nd-seeded Toronto Raptors to seven games — ultimately losing.

George had arguably a better season in 2015-16 than his 2012 and 2013 campaigns that helped lead the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals in each of those years. Last season, George appeared in 81 games and averaged 23.1 points, 4.1 assists and 7.0 rebounds — all career highs.

Now as he finds himself representing the USA in this year’s Olympics, George sees it as an opportunity to redeem himself. Team USA Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski weighed in on George’s storied return, per ESPN.com.

"“The way he’s just handled everything: physically to be at the level he’s at, emotionally, mentally …” coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “I mean, wow. I remember being in a hospital with him. … You try to envision and talk about, ‘Well, in Rio, you’ll be there.’ And you hope that you believe that, you think you do, but then maybe that’s not going to happen. And it is. And hopefully we win, and that would be an even better story.”"

George even gave his input on his return to Team USA Basketball.

“It means a lot,” George said. “This is like really a redemption to myself. All the bad that happened on that night, I owed myself this opportunity to come back out here and compete for my country.”

Next: Indiana Pacers: Paul George's 2016 Player Preview

Aside from the Olympics, with a revamped roster that includes the newest additions of Jeff Teague, Thaddeus Young and Al Jefferson — as well as a rising star in Myles Turner — and the Pacers could look to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a real run for their money this coming season as one of the East’s top teams.

Be sure to follow Ink On Indy as we continue our coverage of the offseason and Team USA Men’s Basketball for the Indiana Pacers.

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