When Danny Granger went down with injury many people counted the Indiana Pacers out. However they stepped up big time with Paul George leading the way. His transformation garnered him the Most Improved Player of the year award as well as the respect of many people including Lebron James. Read more after the jump.
via SLAM
Paul George put on a show again in Friday’s win over the Heat, scoring 22 points, dropping 6 assists and crushing this vicious dunk. After the game, LeBron James said the Pacers star has his respect and is on his way to becoming a household name. Per CBS Sports: “It was George who’d forced overtime in Game 1 with that off-balance 30-footer, and it was George who’d given the Pacers that fleeting one-point lead at the end of overtime on Wednesday night with three free throws. Now it was George going head-to-head again with James — staying in front of him on the defensive end, exchanging highlights and a handshake with him at the end of the third quarter and earning the respect of the best player on the planet. It was an enduring moment that will outlive these playoffs, the great James embracing the competition from a 23-year-old who was not backing down. ‘We’re just two guys trying to do what it takes to help our team win,’ James said. ‘He’s really good. He’s going to be a great one.’”
