With Paul George‘s blockbuster move to the 76ers sealed, it was time for the jersey number selection. Athletes put a lot of thought behind the selection as it becomes a part of their legacy. And make no mistake, Paul George wants to cement his legacy with the 76ers after years of running behind the NBA Championship. With numbers 13 and 24 already retired in Philly, George made his call and made it an iconic one too, with No.8.

Throughout the years, Paul George made his identity through his No.13 shirt. It all started with the Pacers in 2015 after switching from his previous No.24. And the rest took care of itself as PG13 became his moniker. But now, after leaving Los Angeles, he needs to part ways with his favorite number.

The Sixers have a long list of legends, with the most notable ones honored with a statue in the Walk of Legends situated on the concourse level in Wells Fargo Center. The walk honors Wilt Chamberlain and Bobby Jones with statues, so Paul George had to choose a different number for himself, which we now know is No. 8. But why 8? In the latest episode of Podcast P, Paul George revealed the reason behind the selection. “My idol the Bean Kobe Bryant. My way of idolizing Kobe and You know, something that meant something outside of 24 and 13. So it was only right. It’s different,” said the 76ers’ free agency capture.

“It did take a minute. Cause I was like, I was going through all numbers like, man, what makes sense? What looks good? Like, what will I be comfortable in? I went with like 14 because my son can’t say 13 so he says 14,” George explained when his co-host asked how much time did it take to decide on the number. “That number just don’t look right and I wore 25 a little bit in high school also wore I believe 31 my freshman year in high school, but 31 don’t look right with me. So I just kept going down the line,” said George before mentioning he even asked his wife for suggestions.

“When you look at that jersey like, yeah this is who I’m putting it all for. So like I wanted that moment of just being able to be like, hold myself accountable. Eight is eight,” concluded Paul the 9-time NBA All-Star. The Sixers forward has been vocal throughout his career about his love for Kobe Bryant. His selection of number 24 also was influenced since the late Lakers legend donned the number once. But for George, it was not only about the number, it was also about modelling himself after Kobe.

Paul George revealed how he modelled his game following Kobe Bryant

While Kobe Bryant’s bite on the offensive end of the court caused his opponents to be petrified, Paul George has been more distinctive for his defensive shift. With 4 NBA All-Defensive Team selections under his belt, George made himself a two-way threat. But that didn’t stop him from picking up a thing or two from Bryant to this day. “I don’t watch current players now to be, like, working on my game. I watch a ton of Kobe sh*t, I watch a ton of T-Mac sh*t. And honestly, that’s it,” George said during a previous episode of his podcast. This revelation came to the surface after he was asked about his off-season planning. George mentioned his interest in working with the best defensive coach he can find to refine his game further.

“Just for me, it’s the mentality. I watch the mentality of what Kobe would do in situations. And then watch the footwork, watch the, you know, just his attack angles. He might do one dribble and then go left. Or raise up over a smaller defender. Or he spots where the open space on the floor is,” Paul George further delved into his viewing selection. Kobe Bryant himself grew up watching footage of Michael Jordan and, like many others after him, George also follows his game, which only adds to the legend of the Black Mamba.

Next season will be a new challenge for Paul George. Daryl Morey made a statement by signing Paul George, a statement that reads loud and clear that the Sixers are in a “win now” mode. George, fresh off his disappointing stint in LA, will now have another chance to give it a shot for his first ring and will be referred to as PG8. By the end of June 2025, George will hope to have the championship in his hands and if he does, it will prove again that number 8 just looks right with the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what brand maker, Leonard Armato, had to say about the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe, check out this video