Paul George, the newest superstar to join the Philadelphia 76ers, is teaming up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. When PG-13 is in a room with his father, also named Paul George, you might have to get a little more specific. PG's father is actually Paul George IV, while the Paul George we know from the NBA is Paul George V, and his son is Paul George VI. Maybe we should start calling his dad New Hope and Paul George could be Empire Strikes Back. But his father explained the history of the family name on Podcast P with Paul George.
“My grandfather, his name was Paul George. And then my dad, he was the first child, so he was a Junior. My dad had another son, before me, and he passed away at six months old. Back then they called it crib death. So he passed away. And when I came along, [my dad] still wanted a Paul George. So that's how I became another Paul George.”
This episode was full of wonderful, wholesome moments of PG's father speaking about him as a child, his upbringing, the sacrifices made, and treating the podcast like a career retrospective.
The Sixers' retooling with PG-13 for an NBA Finals run
It's been more than 40 years since the 76ers' 1983 title. Led by Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, Maurice Cheeks and others, they were a dominant bunch that cruised through the postseason, amassing a 12-1 record to the championship. And it's been since 2001 that the Sixers made the NBA Finals, the year Allen Iverson carried the whole city on his back against Shaquille O'Neal and the late Kobe Bryant.
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Are we still trusting the process? The 2023 season could have been much different if Embiid hadn't torn his lateral meniscus in late January. The Sixers 11-22 record in his absence sank their playoff seed, finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference. Their season ended 4-2 against the New York Knicks.
President of basketball operations Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand continue to massage the roster to their liking. George's arrival signaled the departure of Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton, Cameron Payne and Paul Reed. Caleb Martin joins Embiid in the frontcourt with PG, and the re-signing of Kelly Oubre Jr. with Maxey in the backcourt rounds out the starting five.
George's massive $211.5 million max contract, with an annual salary approaching $53M, puts the Sixers on thin ice. Maxey got a $204M deal, and Embiid is on a $213M deal. contract. The Sixers need more to show for all that money than a first-round exit.
