The Philadelphia 76ers are making plenty of noise in free agency. They have made a flurry of signings to help them topple the Boston Celtics in the East. Their biggest signing was luring Paul George away from the Clippers. The former All-NBA player still has plenty left in the tank and is exactly what this team needs around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. On a recent podcast appearance, George revealed franchise legend Dr. J was a huge part of the team’s recruiting pitch.
Philadelphia 76ers Used Dr. J To Help Lure Paul George
Julius “Dr. J” Erving is one of the greatest players ever to play the game. He is a legend of the Philadelphia 76ers franchise. While the team used many former players to recruit George to come to the team, Erving was who he really respected, as he revealed in the latest episode of the Podcast P.
“Dr. J had a dope intro and story. He brought up how he joined the team, they ended up getting to the champion ship and lost one. Got to the championship again, lost. Got to the championship again, lost. He’s like ‘We just can’t get over the hump. Then they go ahead and trade for Moses Malone and win it. And he was like’ That was the missing piece. P, you the missing piece. So I was like man, where do I sign!”
It wasn’t just the star power of Erving. The team also pitched how well Paul George would fit next to their already existing stars.
“We believe in you, we want you here, there’s no [more] perfect pairing with you, Joel [Embiid], Tyrese [Maxey] together,” George recounted. “My family felt it, I felt it, it just felt like, alright, this is where I’m going to spend the next chapter of my life.”
Outlook For Next Season
It’s one thing to win the offseason. It’s another to sustain success throughout the entire season and win a championship. Embiid has struggled with injuries throughout his career, and Maxey is still a young player. The good news is the 76ers are in a conference that is wide open. While the Celtics will no doubt be the team to beat, every other team has major flaws. Milwaukee isn’t getting any younger, even though they have Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Knicks have been loading up, but there is no guarantee they will gel on the court.
On paper, the Philadelphia 76ers have the best chance to challenge for the Eastern Conference title. George gives them the third star they have been lacking the past few seasons. Tobias Harris disappeared in the biggest moments. George has proven he can rise to the occasion. They have made great offseason moves, but it remains to be seen if it will turn into a championship.
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