Without question, the Philadelphia 76ers landed the biggest prize of the 2024 free agency season, Paul George.
A nine-time NBA All-Star, six-time member of the All-NBA Team, and a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team, “PG-13” has been an elite wing in the league for the last decade. Previously, he starred for the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Los Angeles Clippers. His work with all three teams earned him a reputation as one of the premier two-way players in the Association.
So far, an NBA championship had eluded him, but hopefully that changes in his tenure with the Sixers.
On paper, George’s smooth skillset will be a seamless fit with fellow All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The move makes the Sixers quite imposing, with the best ”Big 3” in the league. While they are still filling the remaining spots of the roster (they added former Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin this weekend), the signing catapulted the 76ers into the discussion as one of the favorites to make it to the NBA Finals in 2025.
As the fan base eagerly anticipates the debut of the newest Sixers star this fall, here are some things you might not have known about the Sixers’ big addition.
1. He comes from a family of athletes.
Growing up, George was surrounded by top-notch athletes in his own home. Older sister Teiosha George was a four-year standout varsity basketball letter winner at Palmdale High School in Palmdale, California. In her senior year, she averaged 18 points,10 rebounds, five assists and three steals a game, leading the team to the Golden League title before playing college basketball at Pepperdine University. Portala, his other older sister, was a volleyball star. She played at Antelope Valley College before transferring to CSU-San Bernardino. She finished with career totals of 804 kills, 28 aces, 345 blocks, and 1,173.5 points in 50 games.
2. He was not highly recruited in high school.
Although he’s a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, George was not heavily recruited in high school and many programs missed out on an incredible player. At Knight High School in Palmdale, California, he had a tremendous senior year, averaging 23.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 3.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game and led Knight to the Golden League championship. He also won the Golden League Most Valuable Player, the Antelope Valley Press Player of the Year, and was a member of the Daily News 2007-08 All-Area Boys’ basketball team. He would go on to commit to Pepperdine in the summer of 2007, but he de-committed from the school after coach Vance Walberg resigned. He received offers from Georgetown and Penn State, Eventually, he chose to stay close to home and attended Fresno State University so his family could watch him play collegiate ball.
3. He hosts his own podcast.
When he’s not on the court, George also provides commentary on the NBA and other topics on his weekly show “Podcast P with Paul George,” which launched in March 2023. According to the show’s description, “NBA Superstar Paul George welcomes you on a journey of brotherhood, family, missteps and success with his new show ‘Podcast P.’ Alongside co-hosts Jackie Long and Dallas Rutherford, PG and his boys provide an Entourage-style glimpse into the life of an NBA star during the basketball season.” Guests on the popular show have included Karl-Anthony Towns, Demar DeRozan, A’ja’ Wilson, Cameron Brink, and the late Jerry West. And sometimes he makes news himself, like Monday, when he announced he will wear uniform No. 8 with the 76ers as a tribute to the late Kobe Bryant.
4. He’s released several signature shoes as a Nike athlete.
Since he arrived in the league in 2010, George has been affiliated with the Nike brand. His “PG” signature line have been incredibly popular among hoopers and sneakerheads through six editions. In fact, website The Boardroom reports that PG’s shoe was the second-most worn shoe by NBA players in the 2022-23 season. Strangely, Nike has not released a new “PG” shoe since 2022.
5. He was the highest NBA draft pick in Fresno State history.
In a draft that boasted future NBA stars John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Gordon Hayward, Paul George was selected with the 10th pick by the Indiana Pacers, making him the highest draft pick in the history of Fresno State’s basketball program. George would arguably go on to have the best career out of the 2010 draft class and Fresno retired his college jersey in November 2019.
6. He made a remarkable comeback from a career-threatening injury.
Just as he was becoming one of the best players in the league, Paul suffered what appeared to be a career-threatening leg injury during a Team USA showcase game before the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Contesting a layup by James Harden, he landed awkwardly and caught his right foot under the basket’s stanchion, suffering a compound fracture of both major bones in his lower leg, the tibia and fibula. While it was thought that he would miss the entire 2014-15 season, George miraculously returned on April 5, 2015, to finish out the season. During the 2015-2016 season, his first full season back, George was selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game and scored 41 points, including nine three-pointers.
7. He is married to Daniela George.
George is happily married to his wife Daniela. She is the co-founder of Nude Swim, along with Sarah Patterson, who launched the brand while Paul and Patrick Patterson were teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder. After seven years of dating, Paul asked Daniela’s hand in marriage on her 30th birthday and the couple made it official on June 25, 2022, in a ceremony in California. The couple have three children: Olivia, Natasha, and Paul Jr.
8. Fishing is one of his favorite hobbies.
Along with his basketball skills, George is an avid fisherman. In 2015, he won his first fishing tournament and has been in the game ever since. While at OKC, he dedicated a kid-friendly fishing dock to South Lakes Park ,which was sponsored by the Paul George Foundation, He also established an outdoor initiative to sponsor the OK Fishing in the Schools program for 13 Oklahoma City School District schools. Besides loving the sport, George said that he finds fishing therapeutic. Once he gets settled in, someone has to take George to the best fishing spots across the Delaware Valley.
