Indiana Pacers star Paul George underwent surgery last night after suffering a compound fracture of his tibia and fibula during a play early in the fourth quarter of an USA intra-squad scrimmage ahead of the FIBA World Cup.
George fouled James Harden on a drive to the basket and his leg horrifically buckled as he landed on the base of the stanchion. We cannot stress enough how awful this injury is so please be warned before scrolling down to watch the footage and see the still shot below.
WOW..praying for Paul George pic.twitter.com/nzLKNHQG31
— #NBA2K15 (@NBA2KGames) August 2, 2014
Deadspin reports that the stanchion used for the game was two feet and two inches closer to the baseline than the standard in the NBA and that while NBA Summer League games are regularly held there, veteran NBA players rarely play on the court. George tweeted late last night:
Thanks everybody for the love and support.. I'll be ok and be back better than ever!!! Love y'all!! #YoungTrece
— Paul George (@Paul_George24) August 2, 2014
While a selection of basketball stars reacted to the news:
Man just landed and got a message about @Paul_George24. Made me immediately sick to my stomach!! Praying for u a speedy recovery homie!!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 2, 2014
God bless u my brother @Paul_George24. Im hurt, praying for you. Praying for peace. Praying that God heals you in a supernatural way.
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) August 2, 2014
Prayers go out to @Paul_George24 and his family! Keep ya head up G!
— James Harden (@JHarden13) August 2, 2014
Minor setback for a major comeback PG.
— Kevin Ware (@5Juice) August 2, 2014
Sick to my stomach for Paul George. He's tough as nails though. He'll be back big time.
— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) August 2, 2014
Thankfully, in the last hour, reports are emerging of a successful surgery:
Paul George is indeed out of surgery & anyone who loves bkb should rest a little easy: I'm told everything went well. No new damage found.
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) August 2, 2014
GIF: reddit
