CAMDEN, N.J. -- Paul George had a turbulent two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers as he was limited to 78 games with the Sixers due to injuries and a lengthy league suspension. He had good moments as he was still a big time defensive player, efficient 3-point shooter, and had some big moments in the playoffs.
Still, the Sixers made the smart move and sent him to the Boston Celtics in order to acquire Jaylen Brown early in the offseason.
With that being said, George made a big impact on his teammates. He received a lot of love from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe after the team's preseason matchup in Boston on Oct. 10 and he chopped it up with a lot of his former teammates after that contest, including big man Jabari Walker.
"Being around him every
day as a teammate, just seeing his routine and seeing what made him PG, I think that that stood out," acknowledged Walker. "Just how he took care of his body and was very diligent, and you see it with these guys (his star teammates) as well. Like all these top guys are top guys for a reason, and the longevity is because they have a routine, and so it just makes me implement that. In the summer, I kind of found a routine as I get more years in the league that I want to implement and continue to build on."
It helps that Walker and George have the same trainer, but as the Sixers moved forward without the services of PG, it was important to Walker to continue to have that relationship with him. The two have continued to grow their relationship off the court and as the 2026-27 season approaches and the two are no longer teammates, Walker won't forget about him. The impact he felt from George will last for a while.
We have the same trainer, so just kind of going through him and getting feedback that way," Walker added. "We all live busy lives, and it was so much the summer that I was waiting on a time like that to catch up."
The Sixers will host George and the Celtics in the preseason finale on Friday.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers big man praises former teammate, now Celtics star, Paul George
