Paul George explains 76ers jersey number after he was forced to abandon iconic PG13

Paul George will wear the No.8 jersey to honor the late Kobe Bryant with the Philadelphia 76ers after making the shock move to leave the Los Angeles Clippers .

Bryant had worn the #8 jersey in the first half of his career with the Lakers before switching to #24, with George admitting he chose the number due to his love for the Basketball Hall of Famer.

Bryant was tragically killed in the 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash , along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven others. A beloved figure in the NBA and across sports, his heartbreaking death sent shockwaves around the world - with George one of many players to be emotional after hearing the news.

After joining the Sixers, George was made aware that he would be unable to wear his preferred number of 13, with his brand being synonymous with the 'PG13' name, before turning to #8 in tribute to Bryant will playing for his hometown team.

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On his podcast, George said: "I had to do it. C'mon man, I'm in Philly. My way of idolizing Kobe."

George is unable to wear #13 in Philadelphia, due to the jersey being retired after being donned by Hall of Famer, and one of the best big men of all-time in Wilt Chamberlain.

Chamberlain grew up in Philadelphia, joining the team to begin his NBA career where he would spend nine years while bringing the city an NBA championship. Chamberlain broke the record for most points in a single game, scoring 100 against the New York Knicks. His record still stands for a single-game score, as well as averaging 50 points per game in the 1961-62 season.

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Since the days of Chamberlain being on the team, the Sixers have won just one NBA title - when Julius 'Dr. J Erving' and Moses Malone brought the city a championship in 1983.

But over the past 41 years, the team had continuously struggled in the playoffs, despite currently having an incredibly strong roster built around former MVP Joel Embiid .

The Sixers new #8 will hope to be the final piece in helping to push the team back in contention alongside the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference - with the team essentially replacing James Harden, who they lost to the Clippers last year, for George.