National Basketball Association

Paul George, His Dad, Jimmy Butler Hang out with the Denver Broncos During Week 1

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The biggest Denver Broncos fan in Indiana, Paul George, got to hang with his favorite team during the opening week of the new NFL season.

Paul George, his dad Paul George Sr., and Jimmy Butler all got to hang out in Colorado the other night with the Denver Broncos before their 2016 NFL season kickoff game.

Paul George has never been shy about showing his love for the Mile High club, speaking on it often and wearing his team gear all the time.

His fandom goes back to his childhood when his father, a former high school rival of John Elway, introduced him to the team during an era when Southern California had no professional football franchise.

Ben Swanson of DenverBroncos.com broke it down.

An avid Broncos fan, George took in his first Broncos game Thursday with his dad, Paul George Sr., who became a fan because of a long-standing connection to John Elway. George Sr. had played high school football against Elway, and as a result, felt a connection with the star quarterback. He would follow Elway’s career through college and into the NFL, becoming a Broncos fan as Elway led the franchise into its most prosperous years.

Paul George Sr. explained more about his history with Elway and how it led to him — and later his son — becoming a Broncos fan.

What do you recall about playing against John Elway in high school?
He was good. He was good back then. He had an arm. He could throw the ball way back then when we was in high school, so I knew he was going to do well. I played against him one time. I was just coming in, so I was a new kid, but I did get a chance to go to the game and then be on the field with him back in high school.

What position did you play?
I was a wide receiver and I played left cornerback.

And you followed him when he went to college and then to the pros because of it?
I followed him because he was the only one in our group that winded up going somewhere and being a big star. And when he came to Denver, I was always a fan after that, and I’ve been a fan ever since.

And how many times has Paul heard this story?
Maybe a thousand times, or maybe more. I didn’t know him [Elway] at the time when we were in high school, but I’ve just always liked his style and what he brought to the game. So, I’m always going to be a big fan of Mr. Elway.

In an interview with Swanson, Paul George also took some time to put Jimmy Butler in his place and, politely but sternly, remind everyone that that NFL cats can’t hang in the NBA.

Your Olympic teammate has said he thinks he could take Demaryius’ spot on the Broncos…
Oh, Jimmy? Man, Jimmy, deep down, wants to be a football player. That’s just Jimmy being confident, man. We actually played football quite a bit when we was out in Rio. We played on the beach, played in the gym. At one point Coach K [U.S. Olympic men’s national basketball head coach] Mike Krzyzewski] had to throw the ball away so we would stop playing football.

Jimmy came clean and told me probably can’t play in the NFL, but said he played basketball against DT and said he could score some buckets in the NBA.
I ain’t seen DT play basketball, but he’s got some size. He’s not a little dude. Size-wise, he could hang with us. As far as the game, I don’t know if he’s got the game to hang with us. He’s an athlete, so I wouldn’t put nothing past him.

According to Paul George, it was his first time seeing his favorite team play live in Denver.

The team is well aware that they have a famous fan in Paul George. Right before the Indiana Pacers started their playoff series against the Toronto Raptors last spring, the marketing team in Denver sent PG a football signed by John Elway.

To one of our biggest fans: Best of luck in the #NBAPlayoffs, @Yg_Trece!

We got you a little something … pic.twitter.com/ZPYf40loAj

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) April 15, 2016