A year ago, George's strong postseason performance helped Indiana push Miami to seven games in the conference finals and turned an overlooked high school and college player into an emerging star. [...] the Pacers (56-26) finished No. 1 in the East, giving them home-court advantage through the conference finals. Duplicate that performance in this year's playoffs and lead the Pacers on a deep playoff run, and George could emerge as this postseason's biggest winner. "There really isn't a ceiling because each athlete can take it (the endorsements) as far as they can take it," said Ken Ungar, president of U/S Sports Advisors, an Indianapolis-based sports and entertainment marketing agency. Three weeks ago, George made a splashy debut on the national advertising scene with a nifty crossover move and a spectacular dunk fueled in part by the rushing onslaught of Gatorade. [...] Reggie Miller, the biggest star in the Pacers' NBA history, became a popular national figure thanks to his annual battles with Michael Jordan, Spike Lee and the Knicks. Despite rumors about his relationship with a Miami-based exotic dancer and a report last month that George had been "catfished" into providing revealing photos of himself to a man who had posed as a woman on the Internet, George has tried to stay above the fray and emphatically denied both stories. [...] the biggest part of making this pitch is that George needs to keep winning and perhaps even bring home a championship to cement his status as the best emerging star in basketball.