"Telling us how many points he’ll score in the ECF" - NBA fans troll Paul George as he chooses jersey number 8 for 76ers

The “PG13” era is over—at least for now—as Paul George will wear No. 8 for the Philadelphia 76ers. George, who has previously worn No. 13 and 24 throughout his NBA career, had to change his jersey number because those numbers are retired by the 76ers.

The 76ers' official X (formerly Twitter) page posted a graphic of Paul George in his new Philadelphia jersey, showcasing the former LA Clipper wearing No. 8.

Fans quickly joked about George’s new number, with one user suggesting it might indicate his scoring in the Eastern Conference finals. According to @DivvyBet:

“He’s telling us how many points he’ll score in the ECF 🔥🔥🔥

The replies to the comment were even harsher, with @BlurryKl saying:

“Funny to even assume they’ll make it that far 😂”

User @InsightWagers echoed the sentiment, saying:

“His average PPG in the playoffs #PandemicP.”

Here are other reactions to Paul George’s jersey number switch:

Fans react to Paul George's new jersey number

George can't wear No. 13 as it is retired in honor of Wilt Chamberlain, who played four seasons with Philadelphia.

Chamberlain is the Sixers' all-time leader in both scoring average and field goal percentage. Over his NBA career, he scored 31,419 points and grabbed 23,924 rebounds, and was selected to the NBA All-Star Game 13 times.

Chamberlain helped the Sixers claim the NBA championship in 1967.

No. 24 is also retired, honoring Bobby Jones, the "Secretary of Defense." One of the greatest defenders in NBA history, Jones played eight of his 10 NBA seasons with the 76ers.

He was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive first team for eight consecutive seasons from 1977-84 and was a second-team selection in 1985. With the 76ers, he totaled 6,585 points and 2,942 rebounds.

Brian Windhorst unsure Paul George makes the Sixers championship contenders

The Philadelphia 76ers have had a busy offseason, with acquiring Paul George being their biggest move. They also drafted Jared McCain 16th overall, extended Tyrese Maxey, re-signed Kelly Oubre Jr. and added Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond.

However, according to Brian Windhorst, adding George might not be a significant game-changer given the playoff disappointments of his recent teams. Windhorst expressed caution about overestimating the impact of George's arrival:

"Historically, we see teams when they hollow out their roster to create a Big 3, they always need more time to backfill that roster and I want to give the Sixers that time to backfill that roster," Windhorst said.

"But I’m tired of sitting here the first week of July and declaring that a Paul George arrival changes everything because I believed that with the Clippers. I thought that team was set up to dominate."

The Clippers traded a significant amount to the OKC Thunder for George, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and numerous draft picks. Despite pairing George with Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers failed to reach the NBA Finals.