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 "I felt like gasoline was on my leg and somebody lit a match,"
the NBA All-Star said Friday during a press conference in
Indianapolis.
George was appearing publicly for the first time after his injury
Aug. 1 at the USA Basketball Showcase while playing in a scrimmage
for the U.S. men's national team.
When George fell hard into a basket support in Las Vegas, fracturing
his right leg, the incident had far-reaching consequences. The
severity of the injury and a long rehabilitation process will likely
cost him the entire 2014-15 NBA season.
The exhibition game was halted and sparked a national debate whether
NBA stars, making millions of dollars, should play for the national
team and risk injury.
"They don't deserve any criticism for this," George said of USA
Basketball. "I would love to be a part of USA Basketball in 2016."
George underwent surgery the day after the accident and returned to
Indianapolis on Aug. 5. On Friday, a large crowd of Pacers fans
holding "We love you" signs greeted George.
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Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston underwent successful
arthroscopic surgery on the right big toe earlier this week and is
expected to be out a minimum of six to eight weeks, the team
announced.
The procedure, a debridement (cleaning out of debris) in his toe,
was performed on Wednesday by Dr. Richard Ferkel at the Southern
California Orthopedic Institute in Van Nuys, Calif.
As part of his rehabilitation from the surgery, Livingston will be
in a splint for the first three weeks of his recovery.
Livingston, 28, signed with the Warriors as a free agent on July 11,
getting a three-year contract worth about $16 million.
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USA Basketball canceled a scheduled trip to Senegal due to concerns
over the deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa.
The team planned to visit Senegal before the FIBA World Cup later
this month.
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USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told ESPN.com that the World
Health Organization's declaration of a "public health emergency of
international concern" in the region caused the team to cancel its
plans.
The team, including Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, was scheduled to visit
Africa on Aug. 27 for basketball clinics, tours and receptions in the
Senegalese capital of Dakar.
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Police are investigating seven teens who broke into the home of Miami
Heat free agent guard Ray Allen on Thursday morning, NBCMiami.com
reported.
According to the report, the teens entered Allen's Coral Gables, Fla.,
home around 2:30 a.m. after attending a party next door.
The teens believed Allen and his family were not home and thought it
would be "cool" to see the inside of the house. They entered through an
unlocked back door, according to police. However, Allen's wife and
children were sleeping upstairs and were awoken by the noise.
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The Sacramento Kings signed center Sim Bhullar to a contract.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Bhullar is the first player of Indian descent
to sign with an NBA team. The 7-foot-5, 360-pounder was a member of the
Kings squad that won 2014 NBA Summer League championship in Las Vegas.
(Editing by Gene Cherry)
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