![]() ![]() ![]() The nickname has come to define George’s career to the public. He became social media fodder again when he hit the side of the backboard on a shot attempt late with the Clippers’ collapse nearing its end. Then last year in the bubble, George shot 4-for-16 and scored 10 points in Game 7 of the Clippers’ second-round elimination against Denver. After Lillard’s shot, George came off as a sore loser, in his postgame press conference: “I don't care what anybody says, that's a bad shot.” In an elimination game against the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019, George played very well (36 points on 14-for-20 shooting), but he guarded Damian Lillard on the final possession that saw Lillard nail a three-point buzzer-beater and call series. In 2018, he had just five points on 2-for-16 shooting in 45 minutes as the Jazz eliminated Oklahoma City. It’s not so much that George has lost, but it’s also the way that he’s lost. He and his teams have only been victorious in one of his last four playoff series with the Thunder and Clippers. Since then, George’s playoff heartbreaks have only been more damaging. George anointed himself Playoff P in 2018 before the Thunder’s first-round series against the Utah Jazz. The clutch curse and the memes continued to follow. That offseason, George requested a trade from Indiana, and his wish was granted when the Pacers dealt him to the Oklahoma City Thunder. This season, George is shooting 8-for-27 (29.6 percent from the field) in clutch situations according to NBA Stats. At that point, he was 0-for-15 on career go-ahead shots with less than 20 seconds left. The memes began to roll in as George’s track record of missed clutch shots became a point of discussion. While the commercial was airing, George was swept out of the postseason that year by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and in an ironic twist of fate, he bricked a late three-pointer that would’ve tied the fourth and final game. The ad featured George quenching his thirst with a bottle of Gatorade before he nails a game-winning shot and calls “ballgame.” The inflection point in the public’s view of George was the Gatorade spot that aired late in the 2016-17 season and took off during the 2017 postseason. He also showed grit and determination by returning to All-NBA form after he fractured his leg in a Team USA scrimmage in 2014. ![]() For the first six years of his career, he established himself as the plucky star of the underdog Indiana Pacers. ![]()
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