Paul George called it quits with the Los Angeles Clippers in this year’s offseason. After failing to secure his desired contract from the franchise, the star swingman walked away and immediately accepted the five-year, $212 million max deal from the Philadelphia 76ers, officially ending his five-year stint wearing a Clipper uniform.
Although PG got what he wanted financially from the 76ers, a Clippers beat writer reminded him to be careful what he wished for upon his entry to Philly.
PRESSURE AWAITS IN PHILLY
The 76ers franchise massively acclaims the arrival of George in the City of Brotherly Love. After league whispers all year long that the Sixers will be a significant candidate to sign away the All-Star in 2024 free agency, this ultimately came to fruition as president Daryl Morey officially gave franchise cornerstones Joel Embiid and Tyrese Haliburton their newest co-star and final puzzle piece that will help them get over the hump to win a championship.
However, given the significant role he is about to seize and the amount of money the organization invested in him long-term, George is indisputably facing considerable pressure to perform at his best. As such, The Athletic’s Law Murray was mindful enough to set the record straight for PG, who is set to meet the burden of expectations that the Philadelphia fans will impose.
“He’s going to Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a type of city in which, if you get paid a bunch of money, they aren’t going to celebrate you for long. They want you to produce immediately. He ain’t going to Indiana, OKC, or the Clippers,” Murray said in an appearance on the Clippers Talk with Adam Auslum.
“No shade. It’s just the reality like you’re going to a place in Philadelphia where if you have a 0-for-10 [shooting] game if you have a quiet game in a big spot, you will be booed. They aren’t going to wait until the playoffs to do it. You’ll be booed on Halloween if you underperform with a big price tag. You can’t do that in Philly. Philadelphia is passionate in a way that when you underperform, they’ll get you know right away.”
CAN PG EMBRACE PHILLY’S LOFTY EXPECTATIONS?
Philadelphia is generally regarded as a sports-crazed city. As passionate and supportive as its fanbase has ever been, it’s meanwhile notorious for ripping and criticizing every team and player they saw underperforming based on their standards.
Perhaps the most recent example of this has been Tobias Harris. In the last five seasons, the former Clipper forward endured the hostile treatment of every single Sixers fan for not playing out most of his staggering $180MM contract. After a tenure with the 76ers filled with ups and downs, he is now out of Philadelphia upon joining the Detroit Pistons on a two-year deal.
With his history of underperformances and several disappointing showings not only for the Clippers but in the other stops of his 14-year career, PG can only prepare himself to play under the lens of the demanding 76ers fanbase.
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