NBA ALL-STAR GAME: Former Knight star Paul George ready for slam... - Los Angeles Daily News

ORLANDO, Fla. -- And to think there was a time when Paul George wondered if he'd ever be able to dunk a basketball.

Hard to believe considering the second-year Indiana Pacers forward and former Knight High of Palmdale star goes into tonight's NBA Slam Dunk contest the odds-on favorite to walk away with the title and the hefty prize money that goes with it.

George will compete against Houston's Chase Budinger, Utah's Jeremy Evans and Minnesota's Derrick Williams.

But he sometimes worried he'd never be able to climb high enough over a rim to throw one down.

"Honestly, there was a point where I didn't know if I'd be able to do it," Paul said late Thursday night.

George was returning from rehearsals for tonight's dunk contest when he made that revelation, very much looking forward to hanging out with the family members and friends who made the trip to Orlando to see him perform.

And not just in the dunk contest. George also was selected to play in Friday's BBVA Rising Stars Game with and against the best first- and second-year players in the NBA, including Clippers star Blake Griffin and New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin.

Not bad for a kid from the Antelope Valley who grew up idolizing dunk champions from the past.

"To be in the dunk contest is huge when you think about guys like Michael Jordan and Kobe (Bryant) and Vince Carter," George said. "Those guys were pretty sweet and created a dunk legacy that

But first, George had to prove he could actually get over a rim, a plateau he finally cleared in high school, when he grew to 6-foot-8 and averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds as a senior.

By the time he got to Fresno State he was a dunking fiend, one of the fiercest high fliers in the country and a regular on the Youtube.com highlight circuit.

"I really started to be able to do some things my freshman year in college," he remembers. "That's when I realized I could do some stuff in the air and that maybe I had a chance to be a dunker."

He developed into more than just a dunker with the Bulldogs, though, and it wasn't long before he was being recognized as one of the top prospects in the country.

After averaging 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists as a sophomore, he declared for the NBA draft and was picked 10th overall by the Pacers.

Paul averaged eight points as a rookie last year in 20 minutes per game, and this year he's averaging 12 points, five rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes per game.

The improved numbers earned him a spot in the Rising Stars Game, an honor he holds just as high as the dunk-contest invitation.

"That means just as much, to get recognition for my all-around game," George said. "To show what I can do, it's a great honor and opportunity. But at the same time you have to back it up."

Now comes the dunk contest. George has a plan going in but he'll wait to reveal it tonight when the lights go down at the Amway Center.

"I have a pretty good idea what I want to do," George said. "Mainly, I'm looking to putting on a good show."