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Sixers Star Shares Unfortunate Reality for Charlotte Hornets

Paul George dropped a take that might not sit right with the Charlotte Hornets.
Justin Grasso|
Dec 20, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) controls the ball against the Charlotte Hornets in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Dec 20, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) controls the ball against the Charlotte Hornets in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

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If Paul George is ever searching for a new team, you can cross the Charlotte Hornets off his list of desired destinations. The Philadelphia 76ers forward recently dropped a straightforward take on the state of the Hornets’ franchise during a conversation with former Hornets standout Baron Davis.

“If I’m in free agency, I’m not picking Charlotte just because there’s no winning culture there,” George recently said on ‘Podcast P,’ a Wave original.

“Regardless, Charlotte is an amazing city, and would love to play for it because of the city, I could see myself living there. But in terms of a basketball standpoint, I’m not going there. My career is over with if I go there.”

While George’s take might rile up NBA fans, he likely shares a similar sentiment as a lot of NBA stars. The unfortunate reality for the Hornets is that they’ve struggled to play winning basketball since they transitioned from the Bobcats to the Hornets in 2014.

Since the switch, the Hornets have made the playoffs just once. In 2015-2016, Charlotte engaged in a first-round series against the Miami Heat, which resulted in a Heat victory.

Although the Hornets have had some notable homegrown talents flourish, such as Kemba Walker and LaMelo Ball, they have consistently finished outside of the top nine in the Eastern Conference. The last time they finished as high as ninth was during the 2019-2020 NBA season.

Being in a smaller NBA market is already a disadvantage these days. Being in a small market and having little success to show for is a double-negative. George’s opinion on Charlotte is the unfortunate reality for the Hornets’ organization, who have more pressure to draft and develop stars, rather than an opportunity to sell top free agents the future of the team.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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