Paul George shines in tribute to Allen Iverson's legendary 2001 MVP T-shirt during Sixers' meeting
Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a four-year $211 million deal early Monday morning. The 76ers didn’t have much doubt about PG’s intention to sign with the team with what they saw on his T-shirt dedicated to Allen Iverson, and then it was all about money and the length of the contract.
According to a report, Paul George wore a T-shirt that featured 2001 MVP Allen Iverson. The message was clear from his side. He wanted to be a part of the Sixers in their pursuit of a championship in Joel Embiid's era.
Allen Iverson is one of the greatest athletes in the history of the city. He carried the team to the NBA Finals in 2001. However, Iverson and the 76ers faced the mighty LA Lakers had Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Iverson played 10 years with the 76ers before he was traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2006.
Iverson led the 76ers to the NBA playoffs in his third season in 1998-99 and averaged 28.5 points per game. During the Sixers’ NBA Finals run in 2000-01, Iverson averaged a career-high 32.9 ppg.
With Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid in the starting lineup, it would interesting to see if the team can win a title.
Why did Paul George leave Clippers for Sixers?
While many expected that Paul George would sign a new contract with the LA Clippers, there were also speculations that he would either sign with the Golden State Warriors or the Sixers. One of the reasons that PG didn’t agree to negotiations with the Clippers was his condition for the new contract.
According to Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report, George wanted a minimum of a four-year contract that the Clippers didn’t agree to. The Clippers were ready to give only three years to George, the same as Kawhi Leonard, who signed a three-year, $149.7 million contract extension in January.
The Sixers also signed Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond for next season. With George, the 76ers now have one of the league's deepest rosters. The nine-time All-Star is one of the cleanest scorers in the game and is also one of the elite wing defenders in the league.
The addition of PG will not only boost the 76ers’ offense but also the team’s defense. Moreover, George will also take away a big part of the scoring responsibility from Joel Embiid.