It’s a marketing thing.
Paul George is a rising star in the basketball world trying to crossover into the world where even casual sports fans — and even some non-sports fans — know who he is. A catchy nickname like PG-13 helps with that. (Plus it was a nice touch he bought up all his old jerseys on the market and donated them to his high school.)
George explained the move speaking to Vigilant Sports, noting that this was not easy.“I was just superstitious about changing my number,” he said. “Being with 24 for as long as I can remember. It’s always been one of my favorite numbers, and being a big Kobe [Bryant] fan growing up had a little bit to do with it. I was superstitious about it….
“And the whole thing behind PG-13 is just coming into my own. I feel like I’m at that stage where I’m ready to embrace everything that comes with being one of the young stars in this league. Everyone knows PG-13 is related to television, so the whole thing is being able to enjoy the show and being fun to watch.”
Of course, people know who he is now for another reason — the horrific leg break he suffered in the USA Basketball showcase in Las Vegas a few weeks back. One that will almost certainly keep him out all of next season.
But that can be part of the story long-term now — another hurdle he had to overcome. George was not highly recruited out of high school, and even coming out of college to the NBA he was taken behind Wesley Johnson, Evan Turner, and Al-Farouq Aminu among others. His basketball career has been about being underestimated, working hard and overcoming the odds. This is just another chapter in that.
It could make one of those feel good, cheesy, Disney sports movies… probably rated PG-13.
