Paul George believes he can thrive with the Sixers: "If Will Smith can go to Beverly Hills, I think I can come to Philadelphia"

All-Star forward Paul George made his first media appearance as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

George agreed to sign a four-year $212 million deal at the start of free agency after he could not agree to a contract extension with the Los Angeles Clippers . Many people have talked about PG's move to Philly, and finally, Paul himself got to talk to reporters about it.

One of the questions asked was adjusting to life on the East Coast because Paul is from the West Coast and has been playing there for the past five seasons. PG replied with a Hollywood comparison.

"I love the city," said Paul. "It's been great since Day 1 here. I think I can make the transition. If Will Smith can come to Beverly Hills, I think I can come to Philadelphia."

Paul is doing the opposite of Will Smith

Paul used Will Smith as an example because the Academy Award-winning actor was born and raised in Philadelphia. Smith made it big when he landed the lead role in the TV show Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Since then, the now 55-year-old Smith has had one of the most successful Hollywood careers of all time.

Meanwhile, George is doing the opposite of Smith. He spent the last five seasons playing for the Clippers before heading to Philly beginning next season. While the City of Brotherly Love presents a different challenge, George is no stranger to playing on the East Coast, having started his career with the Indiana Pacers.

"My family loves it here so far," Paul said about living in Philadelphia. "It's an adjustment for sure. I won't lie about that. But I think it's one that I was ready for."

Ready for another change

Many believed that Los Angeles was the last stop of George's career because, after all, all he wanted to do was play close to home. However, after getting a 'disrespectful' extension offer, which made him feel like he wasn't part of their future, PG decided to end his ties with the Clippers even if he didn't really want to leave .

"Granted, we didn't win while I was there, but luck has a lot to do with that. We couldn't remain healthy as a unit, but I thought I did enough to earn that. They didn't want to do it. So it was just a stalemate. We came to a stalemate, and ultimately, it was like, alright, that ship has sailed," PG said earlier this month.

George will go from playing with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden in the West to joining forces with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in the East. The Sixers are among the early title favorites, and if George can make the smooth transition, Philadelphia could be looking at a banner campaign.

Related: Paul George on playing for the Clippers: "I'm on the 'B Team,' that's how the vibe and the love felt"