Clippers’ Paul George Says He’s Unsure If His Jersey Should Be Retired by Pacers

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Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George isn’t sure whether his time with the Indiana Pacers merits a spot in the rafters of Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

In an interview with Marc J. Spears, the nine-time All-Star cited the fact he was only in Indiana for seven seasons.

“I think for them it’s a longevity that stands out in that arena,” he said. “I just didn’t play enough play long enough there.

“If they look back years and years down the line, just how special that group was while I was there… Hopefully, Tyrese [Haliburton] can get them there. But if they don’t get to where we got to in 15, 20 years, then they might look at that as a special time. Tyrese will do great things there and hopefully they surround him with talent to get him to where he needs to get to. And then it won’t even be a thought to get my jersey up there.”

The Pacers have retired the jerseys of four players: George McGinnis, Reggie Miller, Mel Daniels and Roger Brown.

Miller is a clear outlier in terms of tenure, having spent his entire 18-year career in Indiana. McGinnis, Daniels and Brown all had eight seasons or fewer, either in the ABA and/or NBA. The trio did, however, win multiple ABA titles to boost their legendary status within the franchise’s history.

That’s something the Pacers couldn’t achieve with George. They made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014 but couldn’t get past the Miami Heat with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Individual fanbases by and large get to decide how a star such as George is remembered.

As a multi-time All-Star and the focal point of those teams that pushed the Heat, maybe he warrants a jersey retirement.

But the accolades and team success don’t jump off the page within that context. George never finished higher than ninth in the MVP voting and never did better than the All-NBA third team. Steals and three-point makes are the only traditional categories in which he ranks in the top 10 among Pacers players.

At his peak, George could probably rival just about anybody who suited up for Indiana. The total body of work may not match up with those who have their jerseys retired.