“I’m a Sixer now, so that’s behind me.”: Paul George is all in on Philadelphia

CAMDEN, N.J. - When it was Sixers Managing Partner Josh Harris or President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey's turns to speak at Paul George's introductory press conference on Tuesday afternoon, George could be seen shooting warm looks at the people sitting in the first two rows.

11 guests occupied those chairs; George's parents, wife, children, and others.

It didn't reflect a guy who was zoned out when it wasn't his time to speak. Rather, it was endearing. It reflected a guy who serves as a leader of his family.

He looked happy, like he was comfortable. He wanted his family to see that. Maybe they, too, would feel comfortable in the new environment.

"I'm all in. My family's here, all in," George said.

He's all in because he believes in the product. But, he's also all in because he signed up for four years in Philadelphia.

Unlike a handful of central Sixers who came before him, George is not a mercenary. He's not playing from year to year or keeping his fishing line in the water with a one-plus-one deal.

George and his family are in Philadelphia to stay for a while.

"I definitely looked forward to coming to Philly. My family looked forward to it. We felt that this was the best and next step in the phase of my career. I thought everything just aligned perfectly - where they're at and where they're trying to go, and where I'm trying to get to as well," George explained.

“I think Philly was No. 1 for the majority of free agency. Obviously there were other teams in play that I was contemplating, but Philly was No. 1 because it kind of fit my game, it fit where I was at in my career. And like I said, it fit the trajectory that the team was going. So, it kind of made sense amongst the other options out there. Again, I just went with my gut feeling. They made it feel like home from Day One, and so at that point it was kind of an easy decision.”

George has made it clear on his own platform that he wanted to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers. If he couldn't re-sign with them, he would've liked a trade to the Golden State Warriors. When that option was taken away, he chose free agency. That lasted less than 36 hours. It might've lasted less than that had it not been for mother nature.

"Well look, when you’re seeking Paul George on your team in free agency, basically, you show up when you’re told. We ran into a thunderstorm, so the good doctor [Julius Erving] cracked open a vodka, we hung out. It was a long journey. Paul and his family were very generous with their time. We were supposed to show up at 8. It was 11. So, it was a late meeting," Harris explained.

"But, it was free agency, right? You gotta be there and you gotta - you’re recruiting, right? You’re selling your city, your situation to someone who has a lot of options and it was an amazing - I think there was an amazing video. The Sixers team and the Sixers front office continue to really surprise me as to how creative they are. Many Philly celebrities, many fans showed up in Paul’s living room. So, it was a great day. I can’t say I was exhausted, but you do what you gotta do. It was a lot of fun."

Sure, the Sixers opened their collective wallet exactly as wide as was needed to secure George's services. But, just because he got his money doesn't mean George isn't invested in the on-court vision in Philadelphia.

"I think we've got a real, legitimate shot. I've always been a fan of Tyrese [Maxey] and Joel [Embiid] from afar. And Joel has secretly been one of my closest All-Star Game friends," he said. "So, it kind of felt inevitable that, at some point, we would link up and be teammates."

That relationship with Embiid "all started with the side-eye [on NBA Countdown],” Harris joked.

“Yeah, I kind of just got that read from him. I’m not much of a social guy in the All-Star setting. I kind of keep to myself. So, randomly, he came to me and we just started talking and this was a couple All-Stars back. Then, it got to a point where it’s like, man, I look forward to talking to Joel this All-Star weekend. The next All-Star comes on and here we are again, chopping it up. ‘How’s the kids, how’s this, congratulations on shoe deal'. Over time, we just built a friendship. I think what kind of hit it home is we had a conversation before these convos even started. It was basically like, man, he opened up to me. I don’t have a lot of people I talk to. I this, I that, I keep to myself. But, he was like, man, regardless of what goes on, I look at you as someone that I want to be friends with for a long part of my life," George explained.

"That was deep to me because we knew each other but we didn’t know each other on that level yet. For him to just open up to me, it kind of just felt right. This is someone, obviously, who I get along with. We’ve spent a ton of time during All-Star games. So, just at that point on, we kind of just built a stronger relationship to where it came to this summer, we talked and we had our ways of how this could work. What it’d look like, us being out there together. And, again, it just made sense. At the end of the day, it just made sense. We both were kind of at the same level of what we wanted out of it. And we felt we could’ve helped each other. I think our relationship is pretty strong."

They'll get multiple chances to help each other because of a leap of faith Maxey took a year ago.

"I want to thank [Maxey] again for being patient and allowing us to have the ability to add Paul," Morey said.

"Ultimately," Morey said, "this is about putting three really, really great players together and how well Paul fits with those players."

For George, that fit starts with a player who reminds him of home.

“Obviously Tyrese has the youth. He has the legs, the speed, the quickness. Similar to when I played alongside Russ[ell Westbrook] — just the opportunities he creates with his speed and his tempo to push the ball. I think I can space the floor for him, and just be a veteran to help him, from a defensive side, offensively. I think we just complement each other so well," the newly-minted Sixer said.

As for Embiid, George thinks he can help the big man dominate from the interior more.

"And the same goes for Joel. I’ve been watching their games and I know it’s tough for him a lot of times to be able to play one-on-one from the block, just because of the spacing and the shooters around him. So, I’m looking forward to that, giving him a chance to play his game and be aggressive on the block - be able to make quick moves to go score because there is that space there," George said.

"Joel’s just a hard worker. You can tell. I’ve played with them all, from Russ, Kawhi [Leonard]. They all have the same intangibles and that’s super competitive. Wanna win against all odds and work extremely hard and so I see that same quality in Joel, which makes me excited to be alongside him out there. You got guys who are willing to go through - I’ve seen it. He played through injuries. He wanted to be on the floor and that is what’s most exciting, when guys are committed to being out there and playing hard and working hard. And so again, when it’s compared to other stars that I’ve played with, Joel has those same qualities that you look for when you wanna be teammates with someone who is trying to win at a high level."

George envisions himself as being a late-game showman for the Sixers. He hopes that what he adds to the equation can take pressure off Embiid and Maxey - whether it be to close out games or extend leads. He believes they'll do the same for him.

Just as Maxey reminds George of one former teammate, head coach Nick Nurse reminds him of another.

“It’s a little early. We’re still getting to know each other. But, the time I’ve been around him, it’s been awesome. Again, one of those people you learn from from afar. I see how hard his team plays and the respect that the players have for him goes a long way. I was a teammate of Kawhi’s and Kawhi spoke highly of him. Kawhi speaks, you listen. I’ve learned that," George said with a laugh. "So, I have the utmost respect for Coach Nurse and I’m looking forward to being coached.”

George has been a tentpole of multiple teams as one half of star duos throughout his career. Despite this being his first big three, George doesn't forecast much of a schematic change from what he's used to.

"I don’t think much, honestly. I know what I’m out there to do. That’s ultimately put the ball in the basket and try to guard the best player on the other team. Again, with that, it’s at times during the course of the year - it’s gonna be a long season - but the three of us, I think, can carry a ton of that workload. I look forward to playing with such a presence in Joel and I don’t think I’ve played with someone at that level, at that size that dominates," George said.

"So, I’m really looking forward to what that looks like on the floor. But to answer your question, I don’t think it changes much. I know what I’m here to do and just go out there and do my job."

In George's mind, he, Embiid, and Maxey all have the same job in this partnership.

“It’s easy, man. Just go win. Let’s go win. There’s no ego with me. I think people took that out of context when we speak about my time in LA and the 'second option' conversation, I think people kind of took that out of context. I just want to go win. It’s not about shots for me. It's not about having the ball in my hands the whole game. It’s about winning. I want to make winning plays. I know when, over the course of a game, I need to be aggressive. When I need to raise the level. But, for me, it’s about winning," George said of navigating a big three.

"That’s all I care about, is trying to win. Putting everything towards that. And that’s really the conversation us three need to have, myself, Joel, and Tyrese. Whatever it takes, let’s go do it. Let’s get the job done. And then we just relay that to the team."

While George thinks his job remains relatively the same as it's been elsewhere, Nurse thinks the fits of his three stars present opportunities to experiment with various ideas.

"I think it’s helped a lot by the 1-3-5 thing, right? Joel and Tyrese, they’re bookends, and then Paul slots right in the middle of that for sure. I think that my mindset right now is that most of my ideas are going in in pencil. I’ve got some thoughts on things, but I really do think that we’ll experiment and try a bunch of different things," the head coach said.

"I think that what we go into training camp running schematically on both sides of the ball will take some twists and turns and evolve to where it gets to by the end of the year. So, I just kind of want to see how it looks and unfolds without making it too narrow of a box that we think it's going to be. Listen, I want guys to read and make the right plays, right?”

Part of why Nurse sees this project evolving as the season plays out is that he has more versatility to work with as George replaces Tobias Harris.

“I’ve got to get on the floor and see it. Obviously, a little bit different positionally. Paul is a little more kind of one, two, three - four, even if he has to be. He handles, brings it up the floor, runs almost a point guard position at times. He can almost be a secondary point guard, or obviously a primary ball-handler at times. So, that’s a little different," Nurse said.

"Again, I think I just need to see it play out, get him on the floor and see what it looks like. You guys watch the games: Joel throws a backdoor pass yesterday in that [Team USA exhibition] game. Is that because he wants to be more of a facilitator? Yes, a little bit, but he’s also just making the right play. He’s getting double-teamed and somebody cuts and he hits them for a layup. That’s what Tyrese is going to have to do, that’s what Paul is going to have to do, that's what Joel is going to have to do.”

Philadelphia will begin to polish the rough edges in training camp. George sees that time as a critical opportunity to begin building chemistry.

“Really important. I think training camps in general are really important to start a season out because you want to get on the same page, you want to gel. You’ve got to click and you’ve got to be on the same page to start the year out. So it’ll be real important. I’m looking forward to it, to get right to it, get thrown right in it. And just be me. That’s the best thing I can do, is just bring what I bring and do it at a high level,” he said.

The journey starts in training camp. But, success won't be measured until the playoffs. Hanging a banner is always the goal. But, the Sixers have to crawl before they can walk.

"I think, for us, it’s just finishing healthy. But again, having another closer on the floor, another big-shot maker, and just a defensive stopper, and I think just giving credit to the other guys that we have out there. I think we are a pretty deep and complete team outside of myself, Joel, and Tyrese, and so I think that should be really what puts us over the hump," George said of advancing beyond the second round of the playoffs.

"Again, it’s more so just being there for those late-game situations. I’ve been in tough games, tough series. I know what that looks like, and kind of know how to keep a locker room together in those moments. Again, just using my leadership, what I’ve learned being around other guys to kind of help get us through those tough moments."

It's always been about finishing healthy. It's always been about the injury bug striking Embiid (and, occasionally, others) at the worst possible times. To George, the Sixers can control some of that destiny by alleviating the pressure on Embiid.

“Well, I think just taking the pressure off, again, Joel. I think it’s fair to say, Nick, we don’t want to see him isolating at the top of the key. I think I can kind of help him get through a season healthy. 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," George said.

"When you think you have to get through and play and have the touch every possession. That kind of just wears you down, especially for how physical he is. So, that’s just the key. Everybody do their part. We play our part. Make sure to work on our bodies, conditioned, and we just don’t put that pressure on one individual to go out and win games for us."

For now, George is excited to get to know his new home. So far, he's felt the charm of an East Coast sports town that has rarely been a destination for star free agents.

"It’s been nice. It’s been a warm welcoming since I’ve been here. From free dinners to good cheesesteaks, so it’s been warm welcoming. I think everywhere we’ve been so far is been a lot of love," George said.

"You can tell the city is ready and thirsty to win and so, already, I’m ready to get to work. Put the hard hat on and go out and try to compete for a championship. But, it’s been nothing but love since the second we’ve been here."

George endeared himself to the locals before he even touched down in Philadelphia, choosing to don no. 8 in honor of the late Kobe Bryant.

“Kobe is Kobe. He’s one of the reasons I picked up the basketball, being a Southern California kid. The biggest influence on me. So, obviously, 13 is retired. 24 is retired. The number 8 has an importance to me of something that every day when I put that jersey on, I needed something to remind me to go out there and be the best player that I can be. The number 8 just fit perfectly. Him being someone that grew up here as well in Philadelphia. It kind of has so many meanings to me. It just felt right to wear that number. So, that’s just where the idea came from," George explained.

With that representation comes great expectations.

"And then, from a legacy standpoint, obviously, if we win and get past the second round, then we’re on to something good. And hopefully it’s a window that we can keep winning and winning at a high level and being successful," George said of what he wants his legacy in Philadelphia to be when all is said and done.

"So, no better place to do it, to win in, than Philadelphia, to me. With the fanbase, the passion that goes into sports here in Philadelphia, there’s really no other place I wanted to align with and try to win in.”

George feels that representing the Sixers and the city aligns with the mentality he needed to make it this far.

“It means a lot. It means a lot. Again, you talk about passion, you talk about intensity, and you talk about that just hard workers. That will and that desire to win, that’s what got me to where I am today. Being a kid from California, grew up in a small city. I kind of wore that on my sleeves," George said of wearing a Sixers uniform.

"So, it fits perfectly being here in Philadelphia. So, yeah, again, it comes to just perfect timing. This all came together, and it’s right where I want to be at this time.”

With the money, uniform, and jersey number come intense standards for success and criticism if that success is not achieved. George seems to be up to the challenge.

"I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to it, honestly. At the end of the day, it’s brotherly love, right? So, I’m looking forward to it. I think pressure is good. I think intensity is good and 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 perform and win games. That’s our job, so I’m looking forward to it," George said.

"Be as critical and as hard as you can. I think it’s gonna work out for myself and for the team. So, I’m looking forward to that. I’m not scared or shying away from that at any point, at any stage. That’s what you look forward to."

Los Angeles may have represented George's storybook ending. But, his eyes are focused on a new relationship that has taken him across the country to Philadelphia, far away from home.

“Amazing time there. No regret. Super thankful to Steve [Ballmer], to Lawrence [Frank]. They went out and gave me an opportunity to play home, which, at that point in time, was a ton of value for myself to be able to play in front of my family, my friends, and have a legitimate shot to chase a championship every season. Obviously, injuries kind of deterred us a little bit. But, just to speak on that situation as a whole, there’s no ill will. Again, forever grateful for the opportunity that they gave me to come back. It didn’t work out. That’s business. But, I had to make the right decision for my family. So, again, both sides, we had a great mutual talk as it all played out. I felt it was great closure on the situation. I’m happy for them, they’re happy for me," George said.

"I’m a Sixer now, so that’s behind me.”