On Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers held a press conference for star swingman Paul George, who agreed to sign a four-year contract with them on the first day of free agency.
Chased by the Golden State Warriors and perhaps enchanted by the Orlando Magic, there was no guarantee he’d land with the Sixers. However, after the Warriors failed to complete a sign-and-trade for George, the stars aligned in Philadelphia. Now, he’ll join 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and 2024 NBA Most Improved Player Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of a championship. One of the few Big 3s in the NBA, the Sixers project to be a formidable contender.
“I thought everything just aligned perfectly,” George says of leaving the Los Angeles Clippers for Philadelphia. “Where they’re at and where they’re trying to go and where I’m trying to get to, as well. I think we got a real legitimate shot.”
Highlights From Sixers Star Paul George’s Introductory Conference
“I’ve always been a fan of Tyrese and Joel from afar,” George reveals, “and Joel has secretly been one of my closest All-Star Game friends.”
Philly Paul is ALL IN. pic.twitter.com/fvveVuwQuO
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 23, 2024
“…It kind of felt inevitable that at some point we would link up and be teammates,” he admits. “So, I’m all-in… I’m excited. I’m looking forward to this next opportunity.”
Sharing The Workload
In joining the Sixers, George isn’t just along for the ride.
A nine-time All-Star who’s universally recognized as one of the best two-way players in the world, he’ll be doing some heavy lifting. The 34-year-old stresses the importance of sharing the workload. Nonetheless, he’s a key scorer and defender. As a result, he needs to take as much pressure off of Embiid as possible.
The goal?
“I think I can kind of help (Embiid) get through a season healthy,” George says, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
“And again, it’s just not putting so much pressure on him. Regardless of how good you feel, I think pressure causes a lot of injuries as well, and you think you have to get overplayed, you have to touch every possession, that kind of just wears you down, especially for how physical he is.”
“So that’s the key,” George concludes after discussing Embiid’s lengthy injury history. “Everybody do their part, make sure we’re working on our bodies, and that we don’t just put that pressure on one individual to go out and win games for us.”
The third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Embiid has missed 368 regular season games over his career, about four and a half season’s worth. He’s missed another seven games in the playoffs. Though perhaps an insignificant number in a vacuum, his absences are magnified in a seven-game series.
Facing Pressure From Fans
As far as the pressure George and his teams will face from Philly’s notoriously tough fans, he says he’s “looking forward to it.”
“I think pressure is good. I think intensity is good,” George considers. “That’s what you get up for. You want the fans to be fired up. You want them to put that pressure on you to go out and win games. That’s our job.”
“I’m looking forward to it… at the end of the day, it’s #BrotherlyLove right? “
Paul George on playing in front of Philly fans pic.twitter.com/x9VsZ5FmTB
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 23, 2024
“Be as critical and as hard as you can,” he adds. “…I’m not scared or shying away from that at any point. At any stage. That’s what you look forward to.”
