Paul George Is Already Playing With Fire When It Comes To The 76ers Fanbase

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This offseason, All-Star forward Paul George left the Los Angeles Clippers and signed a four-year, $212 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The hope, for both Paul George and the Sixers, is that he’ll be the missing piece in the organization’s ongoing bid to win an NBA title, as the 34-year-old is set to be paired alongside fellow All-Stars Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid (who is also a former MVP and also has a rapidly closing championship window).

George is certainly confident in his ability to deliver, as he boldly told the Philly faithful to be “as critical and as hard as you can” on him.

Either George doesn’t know the history of Philadelphia sports fans or he’s willingly playing with fire. Either way, it’s a bold move when first arriving in the famously thorny city.

“Brother I do not think you fully comprehend the depth and scope of what you’re saying here,” said a viral tweet about George’s comments that’s racked up over 2 million views.

George, drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, has played with the Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunders, and Los Angeles Clippers during his NBA career.

Last season in Los Angeles, George started in 74 games — his most since 2018/19 — and averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.

The signing of George has helped boost Philly to the cream of the crop in the NBA (at least as far as the sportsbooks are concerned), as the Sixers currently have the 4th-best odds to win next season’s NBA title (+850) following the defending champion Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Denver Nuggets.