The 2024-25 season will go down as one of the most disappointing years of the Philadelphia 76ers organization’s history. With an on-paper perfect big three of Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid, along with a bunch of promising role players, this felt like the year that the 76ers could finally contend.
However, both long-term and short-term injury woes struck the team’s superstars and depth, leading to a less-than-mediocre final product. They won 24 total games, and their prize offseason acquisition, George, was available for just 41 games. Detailing his injury and the recovery process, George was all business on his podcast.
Paul George Reveals What Went Wrong With the 76ers
After an ugly divorce with the Los Angeles Clippers, George joined Philly on a four-year deal worth $212 million. The investment felt like an overpay for a then-34-year-old star with an injury history, but the potential for a championship made it still seem reasonable.
One season in, though, things aren’t looking too great. On the latest episode of “Podcast P with Paul George,” the eponymous star broke down where things went off the rails in the City of Brotherly Love.
“The most frustrating thing about the last season was obviously, I came in, I was healthy, no hiccups. I spent the whole offseason working on my body, and then I get to Philly, preseason, I get hurt. And from that point on, I didn’t give it full time to heal,” George said.
Unfortunately, that’s where things went further down the drain. “I have expectations; I’m not going to leave them hanging. I want to go out there and play. I’m out there, and it’s like, I know, ‘Damn, something ain’t right.'”
PG opens up about the struggles in his 1st year with the Sixers and positive outlook ahead. pic.twitter.com/hg0Rrw5e2k
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) May 19, 2025
With complications in his left adductor muscle and left knee, the season came to a premature end for the former Indiana Pacers forward/guard. However, even before he went down, it wasn’t shaping up to be a model year for the former lottery pick.
Over 41 games, he averaged 16.2 points (lowest since 2011-12 in a season with 10+ games played) on 43% shooting from the field and 35.8% from distance, a far cry from his flirtations with the 50/40/90 club.
“My knee was still bothering me. I had the brace for a long time. From the brace, I started to develop a quad tendon injury. Then, I had an injury that I didn’t even know, and this was the original of why I was feeling like something’s off. Come to find out I had a torn adductor,” George said.
Eventually, the summation of all the injuries caused George to be ruled out for the season, and the 76ers finished as the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference. However, he did mention that the vitriol from fans was something he was OK with, as he only saw it as “an expectation.”
“I’m not one that’s going to shy away from that. I want that heat. I want that pressure,” George said.
But for Philly fans that are still on the fence about the two-way wing, George has a clear message: “I ain’t hear for no excuses. I didn’t hold up to my bargain, but I do know and I have learned what I need to go and do going forward.”
With the third overall pick in a loaded 2025 NBA Draft in their possession, it is going to be an intriguing summer to monitor for Philadelphia. But if George is healthy, at least they have a fighting chance in a relatively weakened Eastern Conference.
