Paul George returns to the 76ers after his 25-game suspension

Paul George is finally back. After serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA anti-doping program, the Philadelphia 76ers forward will return Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls. An absence that cost the 35-year-old player approximately $11.7 million, nearly $469,692 per game missed.

During a press conference Tuesday at the 76ers training facility in New Jersey, George issued a public apology. « I apologize to the city of Philadelphia, to my family, to my teammates, to the organization, to everyone who was affected by this suspension, » declared the nine-time All-Star. « Disappointing people hurt more than anything else. »

A blessing in disguise for his physical condition

Paradoxically, George now sees this suspension as an opportunity. « Those 25 games were exactly what I needed, I think, for my body to heal and be in a better state, » he told reporters. The forward, who had been suffering from knee problems since last season, underwent arthroscopic surgery during the offseason and had missed the first 12 games of this season.

« Being a professional athlete wears you down. My body wasn’t where I wanted it to be. Performance expectations when my body wasn’t at the necessary level, obviously I was going to have expectations for myself. That’s what led to that bad decision at that time, » explained George, who admitted to taking « inappropriate medication » related to mental health issues.

The former LA Clippers player was transparent about his difficulties: « I’ve said throughout my career that I deal with mental health issues. I’m not a superhero. I’m human and I made a mistake at that time. »

Paul George describes what led to his 25-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.

« I’ve said it throughout my career dealing with mental health: I’m no superhero. I’m a human. And I made a mistake at that moment. » pic.twitter.com/76NyW3UniA

— PHLY Sixers (@PHLY_Sixers) March 24, 2026

A crucial return for the 76ers’ playoff ambitions

The 76ers held steady during George’s absence with a record of 13 wins and 12 losses, currently sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 39 wins and 33 losses. The team remains just 1.5 games behind fifth place, which would mean direct playoff qualification.

The timing of George’s return is crucial, especially since the team must also deal with the absences of Joel Embiid (abdominal injury for 13 games) and Tyrese Maxey (finger injury for 9 games). « I feel explosive again, strong again. I feel like I’m back at that level where I can perform, be the focal player and be the scorer, » George assured.

Before his suspension, the forward had one of his best games of the season with 32 points including 9 three-pointers made against Milwaukee Bucks. This season, he’s averaging 16 points per game in 27 contests, his lowest statistics since his second NBA season in Indiana. Coach Nick Nurse confirmed that George would return without minute restrictions: « If he’s cleared to play, he’s going to play. »

Nurse: Paul George will return from suspension on Wednesday.

Coach Nurse added that he doesn’t expect George to have any « ramp-up issues. »

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) March 23, 2026