Paul George is gone from Philadelphia, but he didn’t leave without a farewell.
The Sixers officially shipped George to the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster deal Wednesday night, a trade that sent Jaylen Brown to Philly and reshaped the Eastern Conference hierarchy. And while the city is understandably fired up about adding a two-way wing who just put up 23 points a game in the playoffs, George took a moment Thursday to thank the fanbase that never quite saw him at his best.
“From the moment I arrived, you welcomed me and my family with open arms,” he wrote on Instagram. “Wearing Philadelphia across my chest was an honor I’ll never take for granted.”
George spent two seasons in Philly after signing as a free agent in 2023. The fit was supposed to be obvious — a versatile scorer who could take pressure off Joel Embiid and create his own shot when the offense stalled. But injuries kept him from ever finding a real rhythm. He played 57 games his first year, then 52 this past season. The Sixers never got past the second round, and the playoff exits had a way of overshadowing the regular season wins.
Still, George doesn’t seem bitter about how it ended.
“While our time together didn’t end the way any of us hoped, that never changed how much this city, this organization, and these fans meant to me,” he said. “I gave everything I had every time I stepped on the floor, and I’m proud to have represented one of the greatest sports cities in the world.”
That sentiment might sound a little familiar to anyone who remembers George’s exit from Oklahoma City or his departure from Indiana. The guy knows how to write a goodbye letter. But this one carries a different weight. The Sixers traded him while his value was still high enough to bring back a difference-maker like Brown. That’s not nothing.
Philadelphia’s front office had to decide whether to run it back with a 34-year-old George who missed 30 games this season or pivot toward a younger, more durable option. They chose Brown, and it’s hard to argue with the logic. Brown is 27, under contract for two more years, and just finished a postseason where he defended everyone from Jayson Tatum to Jimmy Butler. The Sixers also added a future first-round pick and a swap in the deal, according to reports.
George, meanwhile, heads to Boston with a chance to chase a ring alongside Jaylen’s former running mates. The Celtics are betting that his shooting and experience fit better in their system than it did in Philly’s half-court offense. Coach Joe Mazzulla reportedly pushed for the deal, believing George can space the floor for Tatum and provide secondary playmaking when the defense collapses.
But for one day at least, George made sure nobody forgot what he gave the Sixers during those two seasons. The fans might be ready to move on, but George made sure they remembered him on the way out.
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