MANILA, Philippines – Nike Philippines announces today that it will host two-time NBA All-Star, Paul George, in Manila, Philippines on July 20. His visit is designed to inspire young Filipino athletes, especially Nike #Rise players, to step up and out beyond their limitations to realize their true basketball potential.
Opportunity for fans to ask Paul George what it takes to #RISE
In the past 11 months, Paul George has overcome one of the worst injuries of his career with an astounding return to the game with a strong contribution to help his team win that game. He definitely has what it takes to rise beyond any limitations. Fans are invited to ask George how to #Rise above all challenges via a twitter Q&A session. Fans can post their questions and tag @yg_trece and #RISE on July 19 2015.
Inspiring athletes to #Rise beyond their challenges to realize their true potential
Paul George only began playing basketball formally in his freshman year in high school and by the time he was a junior, he had already caught the attention of recruiters when he competed in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) tournaments.
In 2010, he was drafted in the professional league and made his debut in October of the year with the Indiana Pacers. At the end of the season of his inaugural year, he was named to the NBA 2011 All-Rookie 2nd team.
Since then, George has been selected to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest and Rising Stars Challenge during the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend; invited to play at his first NBA All-Star Game in 2013 and was part of the All-Defensive 1st team in 2014. In 2013, at the end of the season, he was named NBA Most Improved Player. In 2014, he was selected to represent the United States of America at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. However during a training session in August he sustained a fracture that saw him sitting out most of the 2014-2015 season. He made his return in April 2015 showing that he had overcome his injury to play well enough to help his team win that game.
Taking inspiration from Paul George’s unwavering passion for the game and commitment to the sport to break through barriers and rise beyond them, his visit will see him inspire and enable the Rise players, to fight their challenges and realize their true potential.
For more information on #RISE and Paul George’s visit, follow Nike Basketball on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nikebasketball) and Twitter via @NikePH.