“He was a double-double guy” – Larry Bird described the other rookie he wanted to draft besides Paul George originally appeared on Basketball Network.
As the president of the Indiana Pacers, Larry Bird took on the critical responsibility of carefully evaluating the team’s draft pick in 2010. After extensive analysis, Bird narrowed his list to two standout prospects: Ed Davis from the University of North Carolina and Paul George from Fresno State.
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Choosing between the two talented young athletes proved to be a challenging dilemma for Bird. He was convinced that each youngster possessed a unique set of skills, and both had the potential to significantly impact the Pacers’ future.
Ultimately, after weighing the options and considering the long-term vision for the team, “Larry Legend” decided to invest in George. He banked on his potential to develop into a cornerstone player. However, as he looked back on that draft, Bird also acknowledged Davis’ impressive qualities as a player.
“It was between Ed Davis and Paul George,” Bird said in 2013. “I liked Paul George because of his length … and all I heard was how great a kid he is and what he really wanted to be was a professional basketball player and everything was so positive.”
“I liked Davis. He was a double-double guy but we needed more than that,” he explained. “We needed a guy, who if he really worked at it, could be special, and we got lucky. I knew we were going to catch hell, but that was all right.”
Bird didn’t anybody better than George
Bird was well aware that selecting a draft pick was not just a routine task. He knew it involved meticulous assessments and a deep understanding of a player’s ceiling as far as development goes.
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Moreover, Bird also understood that the Pacers front office believed in his credibility and skill as a talent evaluator. With that in mind, “The Hick from French Lick” already expected that the Pacers brass wouldn’t be pleased with his decision to pick the lesser-known George over an NCAA champion in Davis.
However, Bird trusted his judgment. He was sure that at the time, “PG-13” presented the most promising potential from that crop of incoming rookies.
“I thought he might go in the first round,” the Celtics legend added of George. “I don’t see anybody in the first round, the top 10 picks, with more talent than this young man. Can we save him? Can we help him? I don’t know. And I thought, ‘If I take this kid, everybody is going to be mad.’ And they were.”
Bird turned out to be right about George all along
It didn’t take long before the Pacers organization realized that Bird was right about drafting George. In just his third season with the team, George was already named All-Star. He also led the Pacers to the conference Finals that season.
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As for Davis, he was selected by the Toronto Raptors as the 13th overall pick, but he failed to impress. He only averaged 7.7 points per game in his stint with the team before being traded away in the 2012-13 season.
“Larry picked the right guy, and by the way, he was way more right than anybody knew at the time,” former Pacers president Donnie Walsh said.
Since then, George has become the face of the Pacers. Before he suffered a gruesome injury in the summer of 2014, “PG-13” had a remarkable season, averaging 21.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
Though George was eventually traded in 2017, many still recognize his great run with the Pacers. At the same time, the Pacers faithful were also reminded of Bird’s ability to spot a talented player and build a competitive team.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.