Paul George

I play professional basketball for Indianapolis and also had the honor of being named to the training camp roster for Team USA in 2014. During an exhibition game in Las Vegas leading up to the FIBA World Cup in Spain, I broke my leg after running down the court and sliding into the base behind the basket. I knew right away that the injury was pretty severe.

I was very fortunate that USA Basketball Team Physician Dr. Riley Williams of Hospital for Special Surgery immediately rushed to my side. He discovered I had a compound fracture in my right leg. Doc and the training staff remained calm the whole time and made sure that I stayed calm too. He also ensured that my parents and I were as comfortable as possible as we headed in the ambulance to the hospital and impending surgery.

After the incident, I really didn’t know when I’d be able to play basketball again. At first, I was told I may miss the entire 2014-15 NBA season, but with the help of Dr. Williams and my rehab team I was able to return to the court in April 2015 for the final few games of the season. I am so grateful to Dr. Williams and the Team USA staff for helping me at that scary moment and for their support as I worked to get back onto the court.