'76ers Unveil Paul George and Commemorate the 'Patient' Tyrese Maxey'
The Philadelphia 76ers have officially formed their Big Three, as forward Paul George was introduced on Tuesday to join forces with guard Tyrese Maxey and center Joel Embiid.
George signed a four-year, $212 million max contract earlier this month, thanks in part to Maxey's patience in waiting for his own extension. This maneuvering within the salary cap has allowed the Sixers to build a strong core trio that can compete with other top teams in the Eastern Conference, such as the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.
\"By being patient, Maxey helped us put together a strong offseason and position ourselves as one of the top contenders in the league this year,\" said 76ers president Daryl Morey.
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Team owner Josh Harris also praised the new additions, calling them \"among, if not the best team we've had since I've been here,\" during back-to-back press conferences for Maxey and George.
George, 34, is coming off his ninth All-Star season and is seen as the missing piece on the wing for the 76ers' offense. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 41.3 percent from 3-point range.
\"Joel has secretly been one of my closest All-Star Game friends,\" George said of Embiid, who is currently with Team USA in Paris for the Olympics. \"It felt inevitable that we would eventually become teammates.\"
George also made it clear that he has no hard feelings towards his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers, despite their initial \"disrespectful\" offer. He is excited to join the 76ers and is fully committed to the team and their goals.
Meanwhile, Maxey, 23, is also thrilled to have signed a five-year, $204 million max extension after a successful fourth season in the league. The 2020 first-round pick averaged 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in 70 games last season.
\"It's not easy to be patient, especially when you work hard,\" Maxey said of waiting for his extension. \"But when they presented it to me, I understood the importance of the opportunity. These opportunities don't come around often for a franchise.\"
In other news, it was reported that veteran guard Reggie Jackson is planning to sign with the 76ers after clearing waivers. The 34-year-old appeared in all 82 games for the Denver Nuggets last season and averaged 10.2 points and 3.8 assists.
