Go Behind The Scenes Of Paul George’s Recovery And Return With This Inspirational Video

“I don’t like to just do something; I like to be the best at something. It’s almost like, ‘What are you doing it for if you don’t, you know, have that motivation to be the best?’ That’s how I look at it, ’cause you only get one shot at it. And for the NBA it doesn’t come around for everyone. It’s so many, you know, players, so many guys who want to be in the NBA and want to play professional basketball, that you gotta keep up with them. No short cuts to it.”

Still wondering how Paul George recovered so quickly from one of the most gruesome injuries the NBA has ever seen? Didn’t think so.

It speaks volumes of his love for the game and commitment to be the best that the Indiana Pacers superstar is clearly narrating this inspirational video from Nike without a script. His are sentiments every teammate, coach, general manager and owner want to hear from not just the league’s elite, but any of the select few good enough to play basketball at its absolute highest level.

At a mere 25-years-old, George boasts the perspective it takes some players far longer to learn. Did he have it from the first time he picked up a ball? Only he can say for sure. But what the three-time All-Star would no doubt readily admit is that his injury and subsequent rehabilitation only made him stronger – in his leg, in his mind and in his overall game.

George has yet to live up to those expectations in the season’s early going. Though his per game numbers are solid, he’s shooting just 33.3 percent overall and 20 percent from beyond the arc through Indiana’s first four games of 2015-16.

Regardless, don’t expect these struggles to be a hallmark of his first full year back on the floor. It takes time for all players to re-acclimate to the game after so much time spent away from it, and most aren’t tasked with learning a new position, either.

George, basically, will be back to his old self soon enough. And as his rapid recovery makes abundantly clear, he’s too talented, determined and driven for any other outcome.

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