Is Paul George on the cover of NBA 2K25? Debunking viral tweet as Sixers forward's 'first look' goes viral

Some people thought that Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers would be on the cover of NBA 2K25. A tweet went viral showing off George's "first look" as a member of the Sixers. However, it seems like fans were easily fooled.

As of this writing, 2K Sports has not announced the cover athlete for NBA 2K25. It could be George although it's not common for players to feature multiple times on covers. He was the cover athlete for NBA 2K17 when he was still playing for the Indiana Pacers.

The "first look" that was shared on X was not from NBA 2K25, but a screenshot of George in a Sixers jersey in NBA 2K24. It was touched up to make it look like the new game, which will be released around September.

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Fans react to Paul George's 'first look' at NBA 2K25

While some fans fell for the NBA 2K25 hoax regarding Paul George, others just made fun of his game face. Some even pointed out that he was "too dark" to be George and others just thought that he looked like Robert Downey Jr. from "Tropic Thunder."

"What in the Tropic Thunder 2K is that lol? 'I'm a dude playing the dude, disguised as another dude!!'" one fan wrote as reference to Downey's Kirk Lazarus character in the comedy flick from 2008.

"He's not even that dark," a fan commented.

"That's Anthony Bennett," another fan remarked.

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Paul George will play for the Philadelphia 76ers next season

Paul George spent the last five seasons with the LA Clippers, leading them to their first-ever Western Conference finals appearance in 2021. However, George's time with the Clippers fell short of expectations due to Kawhi Leonard's injuries almost every year.

The two joined forces in 2019 in hopes of helping the Clippers win their first NBA championship. With Leonard signing an extension ahead of the team's move to the Intuit Dome next season, George decided to opt out of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent.

The Golden State Warriors wanted to acquire him via trade, but the Clippers didn't want to deal him to a division rival. So they let him walk for free and he chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. He will be teaming up with former NBA MVP Joel Embiid and young star guard Tyrese Maxey.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, George is set to sign a four-year, $212 million contract to join the Sixers. It's a lot of money for a 34-year-old star, but they could be seen as contenders as long as they improve their depth.