Pacers’ Paul George changing jersey number from 24 to 13
By Bryan Rose
It appears we’ve seen the last of Paul George in a Indiana Pacers uniform, at least wearing his famed No. 24 jersey. George, who is expected to be out for the entire 2014-15 campaign after suffering a gruesome leg injury during Team USA training will be switching from No. 24 to No. 13 when he does return to the court.
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According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, the jersey number switch may have to do do with a suggestion from fellow ESPN scribe Bill Simmons who playfully calls George ‘PG-13’.
“By the way, I have some advice that will help Paul George become a household name,” Simmons wrote. “He should change his number immediately from No. 24 to No. 13. Here’s why … can you think of anyone being helped by a nickname more than Paul George suddenly becoming PG-13? ‘Uh-oh, PG-13 is heating up!’ ‘Warning, this game contains strong language, violence and a possible heat check!’ ‘We might have to make this performance rated R — it’s too hot to handle!’ Let’s make this happen already.”
George, who appeared on the late night talk show circuit previously mentioned that he liked the nickname.
So what about the ideas that George is changing his number simply because it’s unlucky (due to the injury)? There’s no truth to that as Paul George had applied for the jersey change well before the incident.
Earlier today a fan posted a picture of a banner hanging at the Indiana Pacers arena with hand-written get well messages to George, so judging by that amount of support, No. 13 Pacers jerseys should be flying out the door.