How Paul George Is Investing in the Sixers' Future

PHILADELPHIA — It's 10:45 on Friday morning, and the lights are shining down on the hardwood floors of Xfinity Mobile Arena.

There's no one in the stands to watch. There's no opponent on the court to bring out the competitive juices.

It's just the squeaks of basketball shoes on the floor, basketballs bouncing and obsessions with greatness.

Paul George, a black hoodie covering his head and a blue practice jersey draped over top, watches VJ Edgecombe from a few feet away. He's observing his protégé apply the wisdom he's offering to repetitions in a workout after gameday shootaround.

George nods in approval as A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey blasts over the arena speakers.

Edgecombe is a quick and willing learner.

It makes it easy for the veteran to want to leave a piece of himself in Philadelphia long after his playing days are over. And as he pumps in 3-point shots for the Sixers, George feels a bond forming.

On his first make of the Sixers' victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, George could feel the emotion from the crowd. He pointed to the customers after lacing a wing three off the catch early in the game. George felt the crowd rise in excitement as he lined up a corner triple to give Philadelphia a 17-point lead in the middle of the fourth quarter.

"It's fun playing here. It is a place to thrive in. It is a place to excel in. It's fun, again, being able to have that emotion kind of come out," George told reporters after the game.

Nothing encapsulated George's first season in Philadelphia quite like an uninspired peace sign as fans noticed him in traffic after the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2025. It was a miserable season. He looked like a shell of himself. Was it all about the lucrative contract, or did George actually aspire to do something great in Philadelphia?

His second season, even with a 25-game suspension, has gone much differently. He's looked like an All-Star since returning from that extended absence. And when George did finally take the court again, he was embraced—not reminded of the error of his ways.

"I'm in the trenches here. I'm entrenched, like, I'm all about closing this out and going strong and finishing it strong here in Philly. So, yeah, I think it's just an infectious crowd and environment and, again, those emotions are just starting to come back out," George said.

So what better way to show that appreciation than to pay the time forward?

George knows his time left playing this game is finite, but he's willing to spend some of that time cultivating the next generation of Sixers basketball.

"If there's anything that I can kind of give back, I'm here for it," George said.

As Edgecombe executes a behind-the-back crossover to his left before hesitating and then gathering the ball for an explosive step into a dunk, George feels himself reconnecting with his youth.

"It's been a youthful thing for me to be the older guy teaching. So it's been fun and I think, through that, our relationship has gotten...that's like my little brother. So, yeah, it's definitely a special bond we have," George said.

George doesn't want the education to be misconstrued as him correcting Edgecombe's flaws.

"I'm just trying to give him options," George explained, "But he's starting to grasp it. He's starting to get it."

George sees a young player who possesses the gifts to catch defenses off guard. He wants Edgecombe to toy with his cadence.

"That's more so what it is. Just trying to give him different options to just add to his tool belt."

"I think with me and him, it's just helping him understand how he can play at a different pace and tempo and control the game and turn his jets on. Be explosive in spurts instead of being explosive at all times," George told reporters.

To Edgecombe's credit, he doesn't take the opportunity for granted.

He makes eye contact as George speaks and acknowledges the veteran's gospel to show that he's following along.

"Absolutely, absolutely," George said when asked whether Edgecombe is coachable.

"He's always coming to me. Like, there'll be a situation in a game and we'll talk about it the next day and he'll come to me and he'll be like, 'Hey, I did this. Was this good? How could I do this? How could I have done that better?'"

Perhaps George never lost his love for the game. But he did lose the intoxicating joy that makes anyone love anything. The limitations imposed by his injuries made George feel like a shell of himself, suppressing the emotion he wanted to feel for the game he's known his whole life.

But as those limitations dissipate, George feels relief and joy.

And now the fun isn't just in being one of the guys on a good team. It's in being a mentor, too.

While George didn't lose any behind-the-scenes time with teammates during his suspension, the media did lose time with him.

As his postgame press conference came to a close on Friday, George noticed that a reporter who was trying to ask a question hadn't been able to beat out the other voices in the room.

Instead of taking the cue that his job was done, George pointed to the reporter.

"Did you have a question? I know you were trying to get one in," George asked.

He had time for one more, just as he had time for Edgecombe.