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IShowSpeed (Understandably) Had No Clue Paul George Played for the Sixers
By Sean Barnard
Published:
IShowSpeed, a famous YouTuber and Streamer with over 125 million combined social media followers, traveled to the city of Brotherly Love and brought his usual level of chaos along with him. Amid his lengthy escapades across Philadelphia, which you can check out in Kyle Pagan’s recapping, he linked up with Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George.
The only problem with this meet-up was that Speed had no clue that George played for the Sixers or why he was in Philadelphia in the first place.
My immediate reaction was to think this was crazy on Speed’s behalf. Sure, he hasn’t exactly grown an audience with NBA takes or talking X’s and O’s, but he is at least a figure in the sports world, to an extent.
But after reflecting on it further, can we really blame Speed? George was signed as the prized free agent addition of last offseason and underwhelmed in his first year. He played just 41 of the 82 games, averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. The 35-year-old averaged his fewest points since the 2011-12 season and did so on a Sixers team that went 24-58.
To be fair to George, if you are to divvy up the blame pie for why last season went wrong, he would not get the biggest slice. The nine-time All-Star suffered a preseason bone bruise in his knee and struggled to ever get fully healthy. He still managed to suit up for more games than Joel Embiid (19) and Jared McCain (23). George was unable to elevate his game in the way the team would have greatly benefited from, but he was asked to step into different shoes than what was expected to be the case when he signed on the dotted line.
But the “Heeeeell No,” when George was asked if he was from Philly felt uncalled for.
Sure, this could just be him taking some additional pride in his California upbringing. But a simple no would have sufficed. George doesn’t have to pretend to be a #fromhere athlete who wears Philadelphia on his sleeve. Even if he were to 100% crush all his media interactions discussing the city, which he certainly has not been flawless with, the $211 million man will be judged for his production on the court.
I’ll give him half points for the attempted save of “It’s love here though,” and “I look like a Philly jawn?”.
I’ll even ignore he struggled to remember the word jawn, which felt as forced as the Tobias Harris All-Star campaigns:
Nonetheless, it’s a bit telling how quickly George has fallen from the headlines. It was this time last year when the Sixers were crowned the winners of the off-season after signing the most high-profile free agent on the market. If you were to ask an average NBA fan or even your average Philly sports fan what team Paul George plays for, what would the hit rate even be?
With $51.6 million due this season, $54.1 million due in 2026-27, and a $56.6 million player option for the 2027-28 season, the Sixers are still heavily invested in the Paul George business. Even if you have no optimism for Joel Embiid returning anywhere close to his MVP level, George is an important part of the future. It would be incredibly beneficial for the young collection of guards to have a true wing to play alongside and provide some more roster balance for their development. There also is a world where George revives his trade value with a stronger season. The contract is intimidating, but there is a sucker born every day and plenty of NBA teams are desperate. If George plays well with the team, he can fill a key role in whatever their goals for the season end up being. If George plays well with the team struggling, there is a pathway to him helping with the development of the young players and perhaps a chance to flip him and really jumpstart the youth movement.
But this all starts with George just playing better. Maybe this time next year, Speed and many others will be much more aware of what uniform he is wearing in the process.
Sean Barnard has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and general Philly Sports for over six years in a variety of roles and for multiple outlets. Currently works as a Content Writer for DraftKings Network, Sixers/NBA Insider for Philadelphia's Fox Sports the Gambler, and co-host of Sixers & Phillies Digest on Youtube. Forever Trusting the Process.