Even though a serious bidding war developed for Paul George during the preseason, it seems like the Philadelphia 76ers were always the answer.
Sixers superstar Joel Embiid made subtle hints about possibly teaming up with George during the NBA Finals, but their connection apparently extended much further than that. The star duo appeared in numerous All-Star games together as members of opposing teams, which George says sparked a friendship.
The veteran star shared that he felt his partnership with Embiid was inevitable and pointed to the All-Star Game as the main reason.
“I’m definitely looking forward to coming to Philadelphia. We felt like this was the best and next step at this stage of my career. I thought everything just fit together perfectly. I’ve always been a fan of Tyrese and Joel from afar,” George shared at his introductory press conference. “Joel has secretly been one of my closest friends in the All-Star Game, so it just seemed inevitable that at some point we would team up and be teammates.”
Philadelphia’s Big Three of Embiid, George and Maxey will compete with the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks for a spot in the NBA Finals. With Mikal Bridges joining the Knicks and George signing with the 76ers, the Eastern Conference is at its most competitive in years.
