Paul George Merchandise Given Away By Indy Store After Report He’ll Leave Pacers

One Indianapolis store is getting a jump on things, much like Paul George reportedly did on the Indiana Pacers.

After a report that George told the Pacers he’d leave the franchise in 2018 surfaced Sunday, The Shop announced it was giving away the guard’s signature hat and T-shirt, normally priced at $25 each.

See more

The Shop is located in the trendy Broad Ripple section of Indianapolis — about 8 miles directly north of Bankers Life Fieldhouse, where the Pacers play — and fans immediately flocked to pick up the free merchandise. For those buying online, it wasn’t exactly free — a $5 shipping fee was included.

“We didn’t have that many left to begin with,” Hillary Brown, the manager of The Shop, told Bleacher Report. “Once we put them out for free, they went very fast, before the afternoon was over.”

Asked why The Shop would give away merchandise, Brown explained: “We knew that we probably weren’t going to sell those T-shirts anymore now that he’s leaving the team. We just wanted to give it away. It’s something that we’ve done in the past as well. If we have a T-shirt that we know isn’t going to sell, we just give it away.”

George’s destination isn’t known, as rumors involving the Los Angeles Lakers (his rumored preferred destination), Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards are out there, along with speculation that teams such as the Boston Celtics could be interested. It’s still possible that George — much like the free hats and T-shirts — will stay in Indianapolis for one more season, though.

h/t Bleacher Report

Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images