Category: Basketball

A Michael Jordan jersey from his 'Last Dance' season has sold for $14m (£10.6m), a record for a piece of basketball memorabilia.

Jordan wore the Chicago Bulls jersey during game two of the 1998 NBA Finals and has autographed it too.

He scored a game-high 37 points that evening before ending his last season with the Bulls with a 4-2 series win for his sixth and final NBA Championship. He was named the Finals' Most Valuable Player in all six.

The only item of sports memorabilia that has cost more is the jersey worn by baseball legend Babe Ruth when he "called the shot" during the 1932 World Series, which was sold for $24.1m (£18.2m) in 2024.

The previous high for a basketball item was a card featuring Jordan and Kobe Bryant from 2007-08 which sold for $12.9m (£9.8m) last year.

The previous record for a piece of game-worn Jordan memorabilia was set just two weeks ago when his jersey from game three of the 1998 Finals, which is not autographed, sold via auction for $12.3m (£9.3m).

The latest purchase was made by Miami real estate investor Ron Firman in a private sale through Hunt Auctions.

David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, said in a statement: "While Michael Jordan's importance within the sports memorabilia marketplace has long been established, it has now escalated to an elite asset class more typically reserved for iconic works of art."

• Why everyone’s talking about The Last Dance
• Maradona's 'Hand of God' shirt sells for £7.1m

The Raptors have split the outcome of their first two preseason games, but it seems they might have a leg up against their Atlantic division rivals with the first on-court appearance for the Raptors of Kawhi Leonard.

“He went through practice today,” said Rajaković about Leonard at today’s practice. “He’s feeling great. 
So, yes, he’s gonna be available for game tomorrow.”

The superstar’s status seemed to be somewhat ambiguous before today. When the question was raised about how Jamal Shead felt about facing the New York Knicks alongside Kawhi, he seemed surprised.

“I ain’t know that,” Shead said, with a laugh. “Yeah, I mean, it’s going to be cool… seeing him in that 1st group and see how they start the game and see, you know, where he’s at conditioning wise. I know that was one of his biggest focusses… He’s a talent. He’s who he is.”

The New York Knicks handily defeated the Raptors in all five of their regular season games last year, en route to the championship, but things are different with Kawhi back. Brandon Ingram, while indeed an All-Star and a talented scorer, is not the player Kawhi is from both an offensive and defensive perspective, and Leonard’s addition to the squad could make all the difference.

The Knicks and the Raptors share a love for defensive wings, but this time, Leonard brings a level of experience and offensive prowess that the Knicks’ forwards will be hard pressed to match.

Leonard playing his first game for the Raptors at home will mark the first time he’s played at Scotiabank Arena in a Raptors’ jersey since the 2019 Finals. While it’s possible that he could be held back at the last minute for load management, it’s likely that this matchup and its place on home court will mark the Klaw’s first steps back into the hearts of Raptors fans across the country.

It’s a not a new season without new alternate uniforms in this day and age, and the Spurs have released their new Classic Editions: a retro throwback to their ABA origins in honor of the 50th anniversary of the American Basketball Association’s merger with the National Basketball Association back in 1976.

“Honoring our ABA roots through this Classic Edition uniform gives us an opportunity to celebrate the history that helped shape the Spurs and our city,” said Jordan Mandelkorn, vice president of marketing, creative and retail at Spurs Sports & Entertainment. “From the original design worn at HemisFair Arena to the special court with the ABA 50^th anniversary logo, this season-long celebration will connect generations of fans to our past while carrying that legacy forward into the future.”

The uniform features a silver base, grounding the team in a core color that reflects the early identity of the franchise. The arched Spurs wordmark returns in its original form on the jersey, worn by the first players to ever represent the city in the early ‘70s and now carrying forward their legacy. Directly above the jock tag, a special ABA anthem tag honors the league that brought the Spurs to the NBA. The shorts will feature the original black diamond backdrop framing the Spurs logo. The team’s patch partner, Ledger, appears on each jersey, symbolizing the commitment they share with the Spurs to build upon past greatness as the next generation forges forward into the future.

Each thread tells a story, and every detail carries us forward.

A closer look at our new Classic Edition uniform 👀🧵@Ledger | #PorVidapic.twitter.com/VP7YTH5npL

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 12, 2026

A classic uniform called for a classic court this season 🔥🏠@Ledger | #PorVidapic.twitter.com/jeFvRcrsZS

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 12, 2026

The Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA first came to San Antonio in 1973. They were initially going to be renamed “The “Gunslingers” before it was changed to the Spurs (probably a good idea), although there is debate as to whether the change was the result of a contest or one of the owners being from the small town of Spur, TX. They soon joined the NBA as part of the ABA-NBA merger in 1976, along with the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and then-New York Nets. The Spurs saw early success in the ABA and NBA, led by George Gervin and James Silas, and although it would take until 1999, they because the first former ABA team to win an NBA title — five, to be specific — and held that distinction until the Nuggets won it all in 2023.

The Spurs will sport their new Classic Edition uniforms and court nine times during the 2026-27 regular season, beginning on November 4 when they fittingly host the Dallas Mavericks. What do you think of the new unis, Pounders? It’s far from their first grey/silver uniform, but these are pretty slick, and the extra meaning behind them definitely adds some significance. Plus, there couldn’t be a more rad duo for rolling them out than Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant.

𝐀 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭. 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭.

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔-𝟐𝟕 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦.

🔗 https://t.co/5eJDcXeUqh@Ledger | #PorVidapic.twitter.com/2xz6vzLKmB

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 12, 2026

Honoring our ABA roots that helped shape our team and city.@Ledger | #PorVidapic.twitter.com/RGynWkKOgz

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 12, 2026

A BTS look at our Classic Uniform set 🎥🎬@Ledger | #PorVidapic.twitter.com/61vgcDzB3r

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 12, 2026

After splitting their first two preseason games against the Nuggets, a new opponent is rolling into Salt Lake City. The San Antonio Spurs, runner-ups from last season and my pick for the eventual 2027 NBA champion, are coming to town, and will bring match-up problems that I can’t wait for the Jazz to try to solve. If Victor Wembanyama plays (and that is a big “if”), this preseason game will give us a unique opportunity to watch the Jazz, in a low-stakes environment, attempt to solve the player who seems destined to rule the West for the foreseeable future.

I’m particularly interested to see how what lineups the Jazz roll out in this one. Preseason is a time for experimentation, so I would not be shocked to see a starting lineup against the Spurs that Will Hardy has no intention of starting once the regular season comes around. Will Josh Okogie get his chance with the starters? Will Keyonte sit, giving Darryn Peterson some point guard reps? Will Hardy give Blake Hinson a shot with more established players? If ever he wanted to try these scenarios out, now is the time.

Once again, all eyes will be on Darryn Peterson. After he struggled in game 1 against the Nuggets, his shotmaking popped in the rematch. How will he fare against the notoriously physical Spurs backcourt? This is, once again, assuming that he plays – I would not be surprised if the injury report before this game looks eerily similar to what we became accustomed to during March and April of last season.

Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs—How to Watch:

Who: Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs

Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah

When: 7pm Mountain Daylight Time

How to Watch: KJZZ, Jazz+ (in market) or NBA League Pass (out of market)

Green Bay Packers DE Micah Parsons (knee) is not expected to return to practice this week, according to sources. The team hopes that Parsons will be able to return at some point this month but there is no definite timetable.

SOURCE: Adam Schefter - ESPN

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Micah Parsons expected to remain sidelined

It’s only been 16 years since Joe Lacob led an investment group that, using an exploding offer, shockingly purchased the Golden State Warriors for $450 million.

And now, less than two decades later, Lacob and Co. have seen their investment not double, not triple, but … 32uple? I’m not sure there’s a word for that.

Sportico recently released their valuations of the major sports franchises, and the Warriors topped the NBA at a staggering $14.5 billion, more than 32.2 times larger than the figure that Lacob, Peter Guber, and a group of investors gave to Chris Cohan in July of 2010.

Which brings us to an intriguing question: how much higher can they go?

The Warriors have, it seems, utilized every tool to max out their valuation. They employ one of the most popular players on the planet, Steph Curry, who recently signed an extension. With a dynasty still fresh in everyone’s minds, they remain supremely popular with a loyal fanbase, and led the NBA with nearly $900 million in revenue last season. And then there’s the big kicker: the state of the art arena, the Chase Center, that the ownership group erected in 2019, and the other supremely popular basketball team that plays there.

Just two years into their existence, the Golden State Valkyries top Sportico’s WNBA valuations at a whopping $850 million. While the Valkyries are also owned by Lacob and his team of investors, they are a separate entity from both the Warriors and the Chase Center. Which means that when calculating the value of the Warriors, one has to delve into the highly unlikely hypothetical that Lacob sells the Warriors but not the Valkyries. In that case, the new owner would be purchasing the Dubs and the Chase Center (which was privately funded), knowing that the Valkyries are a money-printing tenant at the arena.

The Valkyries, of course, aren’t the only outside entity bringing money to the ownership group via the Chase Center. By building a high-end arena in a trendy part of town, the Warriors have become the landlords to the biggest concerts in the Bay Area. Just in the next few weeks, the Chase Center will play home to Doja Cat, Phoebe Bridgers, the Jonas Brothers, and Journey, among others.

It’s hard to imagine how the Warriors could maximize their franchise valuation any more than they already have, which brings us to a final point: when will the NBA bubble burst? In 2014, Steve Ballmer purchased the LA Clippers for what was, at the time, considered an outrageous price of $2 billion. Fast forward 12 years and the least valuable team in the NBA, the Memphis Grizzlies, is valued at $4.2 billion. The market is, quite simply, exploding. Curry is a year older and the Dubs are a year further removed from their dynasty, and yet their valuation rose by 28% year-over-year.

For now, there’s no end in sight, but eventually the bubble will pop. Until that happens, we’re left to wonder just how high it can climb.

Then again, I’m reminded of a quote that Lacob had the first time the Warriors’ valuation surpassed the 10-figure mark. When asked how he felt about the team being valued at that figure he said, in essence, that the number was false, because there’s no chance he would sell the team for that figure. All these years later, that remains true. Offer Lacob $14.5 billion for the Warriors and the Chase Center and he’ll say no in a heartbeat; offer him $850 million for the Valkyries and he’ll say no just as quickly.

But everyone has a price. I wonder what Lacob’s is?

Traditionally, the point guard has one job: make everyone better.

Few guards have embraced that role more than James Harden. He’s brought his masterful blend of scoring and playmaking to an 18th season, making it easier for all of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ moving parts to fall into place.

“You don’t have to worry about who is out there with [Harden],” said head coach Kenny Atkinson. “He makes the game look so easy… he makes everyone better, that’s the biggest compliment you can give someone.”

The Cavs look very different than they did a year ago.

In addition to seismic changes at the previous trade deadline, they also added a new member to their starting lineup (Peyton Watson) while pivoting to rely on a handful of unproven role players to fortify their bench. All of this means Atkinson is trying to push the right buttons with different lineup configurations to see what sticks.

“I don’t know if I call it experimenting, but just seeing what stuff looks like,” Atkinson said of his mix-matched rotations during the preseason.

Harden makes that process seamless. Whether it’s building chemistry with new teammates or polishing his relationship with the others. He can do it all.

“He’s one of those players for me; it’s kind of easy to play off him,” said Jaylon Tyson. “Just because [Harden] can make every pass in the book and, obviously, his scoring ability. Everyone is so worried about him offensively that a player like me, catch-and-shoot, just playing off the cut, it makes it so much easier when he’s on the court.”

Having a generational talent, even at 37 years old, is something that unlocks new possibilities for an offense.

Harden, paired with Donovan Mitchell, gives the Cavs two crowned jewels to play off of. Their creativity breeds innovation within an offense that can be hard for defenses to contain.

“Unpredictable,” answered Peyton Watson on how Cleveland’s offense differs from Denver. “In this offense, it’s all about instincts and knowing how to play the game around two elite offensive players — whereas with [Nikola Jokic], I knew every time down he was gonna have the ball… and the play would be for me to do this or that… here, there are more possibilities and things that I can do.”

Finding where you fit is easier when you have a leader like Harden. That’s one aspect of his game that his teammates say goes unnoticed.

“When you’re his teammate, it brings it to a whole new level,” said Donovan Mitchell. “Seeing his influence on the group, seeing his passion and intention behind what he does, it really puts into perspective how BS a lot of the narratives [about Harden] are.”

When Fred VanVleet went down with a season-ending injury before the start of the Houston Rockets’ 2025 training camp, the Rockets looked for a backcourt player to step up and replace their on-court leader.

The Rockets tried multiple players, including Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and even Aaron Holiday. Each player had different levels of success, but overall, the Rockets couldn’t find anyone to replace the significant loss of VanVleet. The Rockets lacked the backcourt flexibility and depth to withstand the loss of their starting point guard.

That issue reared its ugly head in the playoffs as the Rockets watched multiple late-game leads evaporate. It played a big part in the Rockets’ second straight first-round loss, this time to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers were without their best player, Luka Doncic, but they still had LeBron James, who did what he has done his entire career: led his team to a playoff victory.

However, it wasn’t just James who helped lead them to a series win; Marcus Smart also contributed significantly, especially early in the series. Smart did a little bit of everything in their first-round victory, and the Rockets coaching staff and front office had front-row seats to what Smart brings to a team.

Marcus Smart gives the Rockets the flexibility they need in the backcourt

In their first-round matchup, the Rockets saw a player who could run an offense one minute, grab an offensive rebound for an easy basket, guard a center the next, and then hound a point guard for 84 feet, forcing a turnover. Smart has built a career as a multifaceted player; like a utility player in baseball, he can do whatever a team needs.

Smart gives the Rockets not only backcourt insurance but also a player who can help win games in more than one way. Smart can play either guard position and, as needed, small forward. He can lead the offense or shut down the opponent on defense. In his Rockets debut on Sunday, Smart led the Rockets with 20 points and added five rebounds and four assists, but the Rockets fell to the Mavericks 132-117 in China.

Yes, it is just preseason, and you can never take too much from these games, but Smart did exactly what he’s done his entire career: fill the box score. The Rockets’ coaching staff, especially Ime Udoka, knows Smart’s game well, since he won Defensive Player of the Year in the 2021-22 season with the Boston Celtics, a team Udoka coached. Smart has made every team from the Grizzlies to the Lakers better, and even though that seems like a skill every player should have, it isn’t always the case.

That made signing Smart this offseason an easy decision, even with VanVleet returning. Smart gives the Rockets another defensive-minded veteran that you need to win close games, especially in the playoffs. Smart’s addition may have been buried by bigger moves this offseason, like LeBron James going to the Philadelphia 76ers or LaMelo Ball heading to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Still, it could be one of the offseason’s biggest moves.

The Dallas Mavericks wrapped up a two-game preseason set against the Houston Rockets in Macau, China over the weekend, splitting the outcomes. Kyrie Irving had been ready to go for some time now, just awaiting the opportunity to take the court in an official capacity after sustaining an ACL injury on March 3, 2025. Despite fans and players alike anxious to welcome him back, the Mavericks sat a few players in the first of two games, extending the lengthy wait just a bit longer. When it was time to tip-off the second of the two games, there we found Irving, starting alongside Cooper Flagg for the first time.

In what easily could have been a cameo appearance where Irving saw a shot go down and maybe set up a teammate for an easy bucket before taking a seat, we instead got to see Irving get some real burn. In fact, only three Mavs’ players logged more minutes that Irving in the game, and none of them outscored him.

Let that sink in for a moment. A 34-year-old coming off an ACL injury that kept him sidelined for 586 days was the team-leader in scoring. That is not an indictment of the rest of the team, mind you, as the Mavs shot an impressive 48.2% overall, including 37.5% from downtown, while hitting nearly 90% of their free throws. Perhaps some consideration must be given to this being a preseason game in a foreign country, but even still, what Irving did left virtually nothing to be desired. As if to leave no doubt in anyone’s mind, Irving scored the first bucket of the game only 14 seconds into the contest. Better still, it came by way of his trademark wizardry in handling the ball, getting him a lane to drive and finish a reverse layup, then falling on the way down.

After 586 days… KYRIE. IS. BACK.

He led the @dallasmavs in scoring with 17 points in 22 minutes to help Dallas secure the Game 2 victory at the NBA China Games 2026 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yhaPrN9knv

— NBA (@NBA) October 11, 2026

It was as though Irving wanted to send a specific message immediately. As though he wanted to prevent anyone from saying “yeah, but he didn’t…” In that one play, Irving showed he still has the handle, still has a quick first step and can change direction, still can take it amongst the trees and still can get lift for a crafty finish close to the rim. From there, he showed just about everything else, including a shot-clock beating three-ball from well beyond the arc.

Although there may be some days off on back-to-backs and there will surely be the less impressive games that every player experiences, Irving left little to debate about whether or not he is back. If that painfully early (local time) game showed us anything, it’s that he most definitely is back. Irving finished 6-of-13, including 2-of-6 from deep and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. He also had two rebounds, three assists and zero turnovers in 22 minutes.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

In June 2025, the Buss family agreed to sell majority ownership of the Lakers to Mark Walter at a valuation of roughly $10 billion. Less than one year after he was officially confirmed by the NBA’s board of governors, Walter sold his share of the Lakers to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner at a $12.5 billion valuation.

The sale raised plenty of questions at the time, some of which have since been answered. There was at least one outstanding question, though: Did the value of the Lakers really increase by $2.5 billion in only one year?

As it turns out, the answer to that question indeed may be yes.

On Friday, Sportico put out its latest batch of NBA franchise valuations. The Lakers landed at exactly $12.5 billion, which put them behind only the Golden State Warriors ($14.5 billion) and New York Knicks ($12.8 billion). For now, those three are the only NBA teams worth at least $10 billion, although the upcoming Las Vegas expansion team figures to change that.

It might seem like a no-brainer that the Lakers are valued at $12.5 billion since they were just sold at a $12 billion valuation. But the notable takeaway from Sportico’s latest projections is how much valuations are on the rise across the entire NBA, not just L.A. Each of the 10 most valuable teams jumped by at least 20% year-over-year.

That’s particularly noteworthy given what happened amidst the Lakers’ latest sale. While Walter, Iger, Kushner and the Buss family have dominated the headlines, minority owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns 4% of the team, isn’t going anywhere.

Chuck “Tiger” Kenworthy, the Soon-Shiong family attorney, told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times that Soon-Shiong believes “they are still undervalued.” To that point, Iger and Kushner have been telling prospective investors that the Lakers could be worth $30 billion within the next decade, according to Jessica Toonkel and Mark Maurer of the Wall Street Journal. That projection is built on the assumption that “TV and streaming rights double in value,” Toonkel and Maurer added.

Turmoil with regional sports networks has roiled the NBA’s financial ecosystem in recent years. The league is considering creating a “local League Pass subscription,” according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro has already gone on record as being interested in that.

The question is whether the “Line Always Goes Up” strategy is sustainable moving forward, particularly with cost-of-living concerns rapidly increasing these days.

With cord-cutting on the rise and more streamers wanting a piece of the live-sports business, the NBA and other major sports have begun splitting their broadcast rights between more partners. That means more revenue for the league — the latest national TV deal tripled the value of the previous one — but it’s not exactly a consumer-friendly strategy, to say the least. (Unless, of course, you enjoy looking online and/or asking your AI agent to figure out where to watch your favorite team’s playoff games.)

How many ways can the NBA divvy up their broadcast rights before fans start tuning out? How many streaming services will fans have to subscribe to? What’s the limit?

Granted, those inside the industry don’t appear particularly concerned about whether franchise valuations are a multi-billion-dollar bubble.

“There’s nothing magical going on,” Zach Baran, the managing director of Arctos Partners (a private equity fund that purchases stakes in sports teams), told Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen in September 2025. “It’s perfectly explainable by fundamentals and in the context of the rest of the financial market.”

Irwin Kishner, the co-chair of Herrick Feinstein LLP’s sports-law division, told Tania Ganguli of the New York Times earlier this year that he was “absolutely convinced that we have not reached anything close to a ceiling.” Live sports may be insulated from the impact of artificial intelligence, which could only further bolster the NBA’s financial standing. The NBA has also opened the door to sovereign wealth funds buying pieces of franchises, which in turn has driven valuations even higher.  

So, while the $12.5 billion that Iger and Kushner ponied up was an eye-popping, record-breaking price, it might wind up being a steal of a deal in a few years… as long as we aren’t nearing the end of a franchise-valuation bubble after all.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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The Boston Celtics franchise is valued at $8 billion, making it the 7th-highest-valued franchise in the NBA, per Sportico’s latest analysis. That trails the Golden State Warriors ($14.5 billion), New York Knicks ($12.8 billion), Los Angeles Lakers ($12.5 billion), Los Angeles Clippers ($8.2 billion), Chicago Bulls ($8.1 billion), and Miami Heat ($8.05 billion).

For reference, the Celtics were the 5th-highest-valued franchise in 2025 and the 6th-highest-valued franchise in 2024, so this valuation marks a slight downturn.

Trailing the Celtics, the Brooklyn Nets ($7.45 billion), Philadelphia 76ers ($7.15 billion), Houston Rockets ($6.9 billion), and Toronto Raptors ($6.5 billion) round out the Top 10.

The average NBA team is worth $6.64 billion, according to data compiled by Sportico. The Golden State Warriors rank first at $14.5 billion, while the Memphis Grizzlies rank last at $4.2 billion

Full list: https://t.co/QxhBYuxascpic.twitter.com/JhUI7HMXE2

— Sportico (@Sportico) October 9, 2026

The Celtics were sold at a $6.1 billion valuation in 2025, so in just the last year and a half, the value has ballooned. But it’s nonetheless noteworthy to see other, less successful franchises top the list of NBA valuations.

One major reason the Celtics are not valued higher is that they do not own TD Garden or control its in-arena operations, hospitality, and luxury suite revenue, as most teams ahead of them do. The ownership groups of the Warriors, Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, and Bulls all own their arenas.

Will the Celtics build their own arena?

During an appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” in August, Chisholm was asked whether the Celtics needed a new arena to remain financially competitive with other franchises.

“No, but I do think we need to have an arena that is consistent with the quality and the excellence of the Celtics. We need to create the best fan and player experience we can,” he said.

The Celtics have played at TD Garden since 1995, when it first opened as the FleetCenter. The building is owned by Delaware North, which also owns and operates the Boston Bruins.

“I think we’ve got a really good partner right now on that front and we’ve got a really good location,” Chisholm said. “So making sure that we’re all aligned on that objective, which is creating the best fan and player experience possible and make sure we don’t lose focus on what really matters, which is putting up banners.”

Chisholm has previously expressed a preference for the team to remain in the Garden, the 7th-oldest arena in the NBA.

“My starting point is if we can make it work, we’d love to stay where we are,” Chisholm told the Boston Globe in April. “And making it work means improving the fan experience and the player experience. If we can do those things and remain where we are now, that’s great.”

“And if that doesn’t work there, we’ll think about other places. But my goal here is to see if we ideally make it work where we are, and I think there’s a commitment with us, with the Bruins and Delaware North, with all of that. That’s where we want to end up, and we’re working on it as we speak.”

This past Saturday, the shorthanded Sixers got blown out by the Boston Celtics’ regulars in a preseason game. It was the first of two preseason meetings between the two teams as Philadelphia will host the Celtics this coming Friday in the preseason finale. 

By now, it’s well known by sports fans everywhere that the Sixers and Celtics made the biggest trade of the NBA’s offseason this past summer in a move that saw Jaylen Brown go from Boston to Philadelphia and Paul George go the other way. Fans are understandably excited about what Brown can do as a Sixer, but we wanted to take a moment to think about George and how fans feel about him.

The former Sixer was the team’s marquee offseason acquisition just two years ago in the summer of 2024. By almost every objective measure, his two years in Philadelphia were a failure and Sixers fans united in their jubilation not only to bring in Brown, but to wash their hands of the final two years of George’s massive contract. But, in case you missed it after Saturday’s preseason game and got caught up in more losing from the Eagles and Flyers on Sunday, George had this to say about his time in Philadelphia. 

Paul George on the #Sixers: “I love those guys…Jo, Tyrese, VJ, JE. I think these long-lasting relationships that you build along the way of this journey here. VJ calls me almost every other week.” pic.twitter.com/nDwpZrPCYd

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) October 11, 2026

It did make me wonder, how is George going to be received when he plays a regular season game in Philadelphia in 2026-27 in front of a capacity crowd? Was George merely the biggest source of frustration for fans when it came to the job former President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey was doing or did fans truly dislike George? It certainly seems like George left Philadelphia on good terms with lots of the players in the organization.

Most fans knew Morey was rolling the dice when he unloaded the cap space that had been vacated by the expiration of the Tobias Harris contract and used it all on an aging George. Availability had been a concern for George before he arrived in Philadelphia, so the fact that he wasn’t always in the lineup shouldn’t have surprised anyone. Granted, his performance certainly dipped as well, but George did likely rebuild some of his trade value with a strong postseason this past spring.

As we prepare for the start of another season, George is gone and more importantly in the eyes of many Sixers fans, so is Morey. We’ll see if the Celtics can contend at a high level in 2026-27, but it feels like most Sixers fans have shifted their attention to the Knicks as the team’s biggest rival with both teams likely vying for the Eastern Conference championship this season. 

Make no mistake, any Sixers fan that boos George this season when the Celtics come to town would certainly have every right to do so. George’s first season in Philadelphia was a disaster and his second season wasn’t much better until the playoffs. There was a lot more bad than good. But time heals all wounds and with what’s transpired over the last 5-6 months, dating back to some of those good playoff performances from George while he was still in a Sixers uniform, George’s lasting memory in Philadelphia was something we were thinking about.

He’s certainly not going to get any kind of standing ovation this season and we’re not suggesting that either. But Sixers fans, is this someone you’re going to boo vociferously this season or is he just another former Sixer whose tenure in Philadelphia maybe wasn’t as good as you had hoped it would be?