NBA Fans React to Paul George’s Viral Story Mentioning Tobias Harris

Paul George heard it from Philly fans back in February.

Nov 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) warms up before action against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

As Paul George was stuck in traffic in the middle of a Super Bowl parade in Philadelphia, the veteran forward found some motivation. According to the nine-time NBA All-Star, who was struggling during his first season with the Sixers, fans were calling him out for his disappointing showing so far.

One fan name-dropped Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris. While George didn’t want to take aim at Harris, he understood that the comment was meant to be critical, rather than supportive of either player.

“[The fan] said, ‘Yo, we could have kept Tobias!” George explained on ‘Podcast P’. "We could have kept Tobias if you was gonna do this [expletive]. Shoutout TB, it ain't no joke at TB. It was funny, but it was some [expletive] you take to the heart."

The clip of George discussing the incident went viral on social media on Monday. The response from Tobias Harris, which poked fun at the Sixers’ shortcomings last season, made plenty of noise as well.

PG reveals what a Philly fan said to him while stuck in the Eagles parade & the reaction was PRICELESS 😭 pic.twitter.com/lRB2Gdc5rg

— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) May 26, 2025

NBA Fans React to PG’s Run-In With Philly Fans

u/: RavingRapscallion: Hopefully he bounces back next year

u/: LucianaFallon: shoutout to whichever one of you that was

u/: Zestyclose-Camp3553: Paul George over me??

*Responses via Sixers Reddit

Mar 1, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) gets past Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George (13) for a dunk in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

via @MB_cali: Meanwhile Tobias made the playoffs and was a good leader for that team 😭

@Patrice8539: Philly fan will tell you the truth, like it or not

@justind4885: The saddest thing about this is that you actually believe you are better than Tobi right now. It’s not even close unfortunately for us Sixers fans. Both in terms of on court success and team leadership.

@PhillySports_V: PG was injured. If you are basketball fan you could see the PG that played in the preseason in Minnesota and in Atlanta the 1st 3 quarters was not the same PG that played all season.

*Responses via X

The Tobias Harris era in Philadelphia was filled with criticism for the veteran forward since he was getting paid All-Star money without an All-Star nod. Around the league, Harris was believed to be one of the NBA’s most overpaid players. Sixers fans certainly agreed with that sentiment and would let him hear it anytime he came up short of expectations.

George is finding himself in the same boat since signing with the Sixers last summer. After a five-year run with the Los Angeles Clippers, George inked a max deal to link up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey on the Sixers. Not only did George struggle to stay healthy in year one, but he didn’t look like a max talent when he was on the court playing.

In 41 games, George averaged 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists. He shot 36 percent from three on seven attempts per game. The Sixers achieved a 15-26 record when George was available last year.

Does Philly miss Tobias Harris? Probably not, but the trolling certainly works in Harris’s favor right about now. While the veteran’s offensive output was reduced to 14 points per game on 48 percent shooting (below his Sixers average), Harris was a key veteran leader for a young Pistons team that secured a spot in the playoffs.

Harris made the playoffs for the seventh season in a row. The Sixers missed the postseason for the first time since 2017. Sixers fans hope that’s enough to issue the nine-time All-Star a heavy dose of motivation for next year. If the Sixers can’t bounce back, they could be seeing a lot of turnover.