In the blink of an eye, a triumphant week of basketball was marred by a devastating injury to one of the game’s best young players.
As I sat 15 rows up as a member of the USA Basketball media relations staff at the Thomas and Mack Arena at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas last week, I witnessed a freak injury that has been hard to erase from my mind.
On Friday, Aug. 1, the USA Men’s Basketball Showcase scrimmage took place as the team — made up of the NBA’s best — prepared for the FIBA World Cup of Basketball at the end of August.
Fans cheered on every move of their beloved NBA heroes throughout the game as the White and Blue teams battled in an electric intra-squad scrimmage. But what ensued early in the fourth quarter silenced thousands in the arena.
With the White team leading the Blue, 81-71, the White team’s James Harden of the Houston Rockets was driving in for a layup when he was contested by the Blue team’s Paul George, who plays for the Indiana Pacers. Seconds later, George made awkward contact with the basketball stanchion and crumbled to the floor with a gruesome injury.
Medically, the injury was deemed an open tibia-fibula fracture in his lower right leg. After seeing George collapse, Harden walked away and squatted down with his head in the palm of his hands. Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) cried in his father’s arms. Other players walked aimlessly around the court with the look of worry and concern etched across their faces.
After 20 minutes of medical attention, George was taken off the court on a stretcher with fans chanting his name. Both teams came together for a prayer and the game was cancelled with 9:33 remaining.
As fans filed out of the arena, I walked to the outside of the locker room where USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo and USA coach Mike Krzyzewski were meeting with the team. Moments later, the players exited. Many of them had tears in their eyes.
Krzyzewski and Colangelo, clearly distraught as well, met with the media shortly thereafter.
“We feel that USA Basketball, and the word is used a lot, is a family,” Krzyzewski said. “It should be a little bit of a safe haven for being yourself, getting better, developing relationships with different guys in the league. There’s a brotherhood in the NBA and to me, in moments like this, a family or a brotherhood shows its heart. It shows its depth. I thought that’s what our players showed during that time.”
On the way to the hospital, George tweeted, “Thanks everybody for the love and support. I’ll be ok and be back better than ever!!! Love y’all!”
This was my fourth stint helping the media relations department with USA Basketball in a volunteer capacity at training camp. My other camps included the 1992 Dream Team, 2010 and 2012. Never before had I seen the NBA community rally around each other in such an inspiring way.
While they appear to be larger-than-life figures from afar, these men truly care about one another, and the horrific injury to George brought a group of NBA players into a close-knit circle of respect and love.
Players throughout the league took to Twitter to express their support and sentiment for George.
In a singularly transformative moment, a group of 20 NBA players representing the United States of America became an instant family that could possibly define this team when the World Cup of Basketball is played August 30 to September 14 in Spain.
Though the injury cast a shadow on the rest of camp, there was plenty of superb action during the week. Reigning NBA MVP Kevin Durant and 2011 MVP Derrick Rose turned in terrific performances, as did George.
Durant knew the significance of playing for Team USA. This is his third experience to go along with 2010 and 2012.
“You dream about representing your country in some type of way,” Durant said. “To go out there and do it on the basketball court, something that you love to do, you can’t beat that. All these guys appreciate this opportunity. We never want to take it for granted.”
“It’s all about pulling for one another,” George said earlier in the week. “At the end of the day, we’re all we really have, going over to Spain and playing for a gold medal.”
