Paul George made Allen Iverson gesture in perfect start to life with Philadelphia 76ers

Paul George has wasted no time winning the hearts of Philadelphia 76ers fans, paying homage to franchise icon Allen Iverson during his meeting with team officials to negotiate the deal.

The nine-time All-Star has signed a four-year, $212 million max contract with the Sixers, adding a third star player to a roster that already boasts former MVP Joel Embiid and the ascendent Tyrese Maxey.

George and his agent Aaron Mintz were locked in exhaustive negotiations with the Los Angeles Clippers at the end of the season but the 34-year-old and the team could not come to terms on an extension. He declined a $48.7 million player option and entered free agency.

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A meeting with the Sixers' top brass, including owner Josh Harris and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey followed in Los Angeles, and a deal was struck to make George a Sixer.

And he clearly made a strong impression during the talks, securing a huge contract that will keep him in Philadelphia until he is 38 years old. And a picture from the meeting has since emerged with George wearing a T-shirt paying tribute to Iverson's 2001 MVP season with Philly.

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"The Answer" was one of the most enthralling and captivating players in modern basketball history, winning the NBA scoring title four times in his 10 seasons with the 76ers before going on to play for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies. Iverson earned All-Star recognition 11 times through his acclaimed career.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse will hope George will be the missing piece of the puzzle that finally makes Philly a genuine title contender. The franchise has failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals since losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals.

The former Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder star averaged 22.6 points, 3.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game last season for the Clippers. And there appeared to be no hard feelings when the team announced his departure in a statement on Sunday.

"Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player," a spokesman said. "We feel fortunate for the five years we spent with him. Over that span, he went to three All-Star Games, made the most 3-pointers in franchise history and helped lead the team to a place it had never been. His performances in Games 5 and 6 against Utah in 2021 won't be forgotten by anyone associated with the Clippers.

"We traded a lot to pair Paul and Kawhi [Leonard], and in exchange, we had five seasons of contention. Even though we fell short of our ultimate objective, we appreciate the chances we had with Paul."