George begins a ‘new journey’, says he has always had ‘brotherly love’ with Iverson originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
Paul George is establishing himself as a Sixer.
He has already traveled to the team’s training complex in Camden, New Jersey, and posed in his new number 8 jersey.
George also had an interview at the airport with NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark.
“Joel Embiid is a dominant force — one of the best, if not the best, bigs in the league,” George told Clark when asked why the Sixers were the best fit for him. “(It will) be absolutely fun to pair with him. And Tyrese Maxey is one of the NBA’s most promising stars. I loved his game from afar and I’m looking forward to being around him.
“And then what (Sixers coach) Nick Nurse did with this Philadelphia group, what he did in his career. He is a winner and I believed in him. I’m looking forward to this new journey and being a Sixer.”
Once the games begin, George will have Allen Iverson cheering him on from the Wells Fargo Center court.
After wearing an Iverson shirt during his free agent meeting with the Sixershe will certainly appreciate it.
“I’m a big fan of AI,” said George. “Obviously, being a kid from Southern California and his battles with the Lakers against (Kobe Bryant), I gained a lot of respect for AI back then and he’s been one of my favorite players to watch growing up. … I’ve had the opportunity to meet him a few times.
“It was always love between the two of us – brotherly love. That was the connection there; just admiration for what he did, and no (better) person to honor in the process than AI.”
Once everything finally sinks in, George will be able to look up and see Iverson’s retired No. 3 as he shares the floor with Maxey and Embiid.
“We all have the same common goal,” he said, “which is to win and be the last team standing. It’s great when everyone is aligned on the same page.”
