BOSTON -- The Philadelphia 76ers saw an old friend in Saturday's preseason contest with the Boston Celtics in the form of Paul George. The Sixers had signed George to a 4-year deal in the 2024 offseason, but after two seasons, flipped him to the Celtics for 5-time All-Star Jaylen Brown in a deal that sent shockwaves around the league.
The George era was a tough one as he dealt with injuries and a suspension and was never quite himself as a member of the Sixers. There were certainly flashes, but it was a tough time for him in Philadelphia, and he now gets a fresh start with the Celtics as he moves forward.
With that being said, George had a major influence on his teammates, and Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe gave George his flowers after the 144-106
preseason loss to the Celtics.
"I think the highlight of my night was blocking his shot, honestly," smiled Maxey. "But PG’s great. PG was great for us. Happy for him. Happy for his family. Got to see his kids and everything. We love PG."
For somebody like Edgecombe, this is the first time he's going through the emotions of a big trade. George was his vet as a rookie. He learned a lot from him. It was certainly a weird feeling to see him on the other side.
"It was for sure," Edgecombe said shaking his head. "Definitely was weird. That's still my brother, though regardless of what—I know it's a business. That’s one thing he told me. It's a business, man. Things gonna happen you might like. Things might happen you might not like. It was good. We had a good chance to chop it up. We still talk here and there."
After the game was over, George was chopping it up with plenty of Sixers, including Maxey, Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, Jabari Walker, and Justin Edwards. It's no secret that he was beloved by his former teammates in Philadelphia.
"We talked to PG for at least 10 minutes after the game just a second ago, just messing with him," Maxey added. "But it was good to see him out there. I told him this is my first time ever seeing him playing in preseason the last two years, so I’m happy."
Lotta love for Paul George after this one. Jabari Walker, Justin Edwards, and VJ Edgecombe all give him love. #Sixers pic.twitter.com/YB1aFkma3J
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) October 11, 2026
Needless to say, it's obvious that there is a lot of love and admiration for George from the younger Sixers. They may not have been able to achieve the goals and the success they set out for when they acquired him, but George is such a great teammate, and he left a lasting impact.
"I seen him this summer after he got traded," Edgecombe said of George. "He's working out. I can pull up on him, but that’s someone that, he's an OG. He’s an OG in the game. What, he's in the year 17 now? 16? 17? One of the two, whatever, but that's a lot of time. I'm happy for him. It seems like he's in a really good space mentally and physically also."
The Sixers will see George and the Celtics again in the preseason finale on Oct. 16 in Philadelphia.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers' Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe give love to Celtics' Paul George
