After seeing Paul George flashing his new 76ers jersey this weekend, we actually can’t inform a lot of a distinction as his former membership makes use of the identical blue-and-red variations. Nonetheless, what we couldn’t maintain our eyes off was the truth that the previous Clippers star selected the No. 8 for subsequent season, as a tribute to his idol Kobe Bryant.
Which means that for the primary time since 2015, Paul received’t be sporting his common quantity 13. This additionally doesn’t imply that the veteran didn’t ask for his conventional jersey quantity, however he came upon it as been retired for a very long time to recollect legendary large man Wilt Chamberlain.
The 34-year-old then recalled that the “Black Mamba” was born in Philadelphia and began his pre-professional profession at Decrease Merion Excessive Faculty earlier than being picked by the Los Angeles Lakers within the 90s.
Paul George representing his idol Kobe Bryant by sporting #8 for the 76ers ♾ pic.twitter.com/PHEGJx2PSh
— NBAinthezone™️ (@NBAinthezone) July 7, 2024
As George recalled, Kobe used the No. 8 shirt throughout his first decade in California. “I needed to do it. C’mon man, I’m in Philly.” he mentioned on his podcast this weekend. “My means of idolizing Kobe.”
Regardless of this symbolic gesture, he did admit that there was one more reason behind not pursuing the No. 13 jersey in Philly. He instructed his podcast co-hosts that his three-year-old son Paul Vuk George nonetheless can’t pronounce effectively. “My son can’t say 13,” he revealed. “So he says 14.”
Because of this the ex-Clippers man knew his former quantity wasn’t meant to be, and even weighed on 25 and 31 as different choices, which had been numbers he wore again in highschool. “It’s good to have these moments to simply, like, while you have a look at that jersey … ‘Yeah, that is who I’m placing it on for,’” Paul shared.
5 years in the past, the Los Angeles franchise invested in bringing in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, however this summer season his former teammate has determined to proceed his basketball profession in Philly. Throughout Workforce USA’s coaching camp, the veteran was requested about what he felt about this, however he declined to reply.
Leonard later clarified that he doesn’t have an issue along with his co-star leaving to play with the 76ers, however merely desires inquiries to be in regards to the 2024 Olympic Video games.
New teammate Joel Embiid couldn’t cover his pleasure over Paul’s commerce and referred to as him an “superb” slot in Philly
76ers celebrity Joel Embiid was requested about his crew’s latest signing and simply how buying free-agent Paul George will slot in Philadelphia this upcoming marketing campaign. The participant, who’s at present concentrated within the Workforce USA camp, smiled immediately earlier than responding.
“Yeah, I believe so far as the match, it seems superb,” he mentioned in an interview on SportsCenter. “It’s nice, particularly while you received a giant … I don’t prefer to name myself a giant, however while you received a participant that posts up and that isos fairly a bit, it’s essential have keen shooters and guys that aren’t afraid to tug the set off.”
The previous league MVP then acknowledged that the Sixers’ lack of playoff success has actually weighed on him, and he can’t wait to take this strain off when the NBA restarts in October this yr.
“I’d be mendacity to say that endurance wasn’t examined,” Embiid acknowledged. “As a result of I’m on the level the place there’s no awards, there’s no common season or no All-NBA or All-Stars goes to alter the best way my legacy is. Properly, there’s just a few issues that may change it, however the principle one is the championship.”
