In a press conference this week, 76ers star Paul George gave a candid response on what it was that lured him to the 76ers. According to George, he had developed a deep relationship with Joel Embiid and long harbored great respect for Tyrese Maxey’s game.
“I thought everything aligned perfectly. Where they’re at and trying to go vs where I’m trying to get to as well. I think we got a real legitimate shot (of winning a title),” said George. “I’ve always been a fan of Tyrese (Maxey) and Joel from afar, and Joel has secretly been one of my closest All-Star Game friends. It kinda felt inevitable that we would link up and be teammates. I’m all in… No better place to do it, to win in, than Philadelphia to me. With the fan base, just the passion that goes into sports here in Philadelphia, there’s really no other place I wanted to align with and win in.”
Philly Paul is ALL IN. pic.twitter.com/fvveVuwQuO
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 23, 2024
The Clippers held on tight to their prized duo for years before doubts began to circulate about their potential to win together. After much stalling from both sides, George finally decided to split, citing that the Clippers were only the “B team” of Los Angeles and that he wanted something more. Now, he’ll be the top sidekick for one of the top teams in the East.
George, 34, will start his 15th season in October but he’s never felt more optimistic about his future. After stints with the Pacers, Thunder, and Clippers, he was given another fresh start this summer after signing a four-year, $212 million contract with the 76ers.
This time, instead of coming in as the focal point of the team, George will play more of a support role on the wing, behind Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. With averages of 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on 47.1% shooting last season, he proved that he’s still a top-tier scorer and he’ll have to maintain that pace to help the 76ers reach the peak of their potential.
Of course, the pressure will also be on the 9x All-Star to break the long cycle of losing that has plagued his career. Dating back to his days with the Pacers, George has appeared in just three Conference Finals series, losing all three of them in convincing fashion.
For most fans, it’s George’s failures with the Clippers that are the most egregious. That team had everything a championship squad could want but they were consistently unable to close the deal. With a new team, in a new city, George wants to prove everyone wrong and show the world that he can win at the highest level.
Now that he’s teamed up with some of his closest friends, the odds seem to be stacked in his favor — but for a team and a group of players for which things always seem to go wrong, it’s going to take some time before the 76ers have anyone convinced that they can go all the way. It’ll be up to George to prove that he was right and that this matchup was always meant to be.
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