Prayers, well-wishes and ‘speedy comeback’ for Paul George
MANILA, Philippines – NBA players sent prayers and well wishes to Indiana Pacers’ Paul George after the All-Star forward sustained a gruesome leg injury during the Team USA intrasquad scrimmage Friday (Saturday in Manila) in Las Vegas.
George landed awkwardly after contesting a fastbreak layup by James Harden and had to be carted off the court.
Minutes after the incident, USA head coach Mike Kryzweski announced at center court that the remainder of the game won’t be played out of respect to George and his family.
“With the serious injury that we had and the fact that we stopped playing for a long period of time, and out of respect for Paul and his family, the scrimmage is done,” Kryzweski told the crowd.
Pacers General Manager Kevin Pritchard took to Twitter his sympathy to George.
“Paul is strong. He will be back. Surrounded by family and friends,” he said.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver also released a statement in support of George.
“It was difficult to watch the injury that Paul George sustained tonight while representing his country. The thoughts and prayers of all of us at the NBA are with Paul and his family,” he said.
Harden also wished the speedy recovery of George.
“Speedy recover for my guy PG! Praying for you and the family. The comeback is going to be crazy!” he said.
LeBron James, who recently decided to go back and play for his hometown Cleveland, has had epic playoff battles with George and the Pacers during the four-time MVP’s stint with the Miami Heat.
The White team led by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant led George’s Blue team, 81-71, with 9:33 left in the third quarter when the ugly injury happened.
Golden State Warriors’ Shaun Livingston, who has recovered from a horrific leg injury, knows George will be able recover and so did Kevin Ware, the former Louisville star, who also broke his leg in March 2013 during the NCAA tournament.
Other NBA stars were quick to share their sympathy on Twitter.
NBA players sent prayers and well wishes to Indiana Pacers’ Paul George after the All-Star forward sustained a gruesome leg injury during the Team USA intrasquad scrimmage Friday (Saturday in Manila) in Las Vegas.
https://storify.com/inquirerdotnet/paul-george-injury
George, meanwhile, thanked everyone for their love and support and promised to be back on full recovery.
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Paul George suffers severe leg injury in Team USA scrimmage
