The junkyard fire known as the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team continues to burn today after the team dropped to 2-12 on the season with their fifth consecutive loss Wednesday night to the Memphis Grizzlies.
So, let's talk about something even more depressing: the team's off-court drama!
In the latest episode of his podcast, Podcast P, Paul George openly discussed the discourse surrounding a team meeting the Sixers held on Monday night after their embarrassing loss to the Miami Heat -- details of which leaked to the media the next day, including the report that Tyrese Maxey confronted Joel Embiid about tardiness.
(Side note: we are still awaiting further information on the status of George, who left the Sixers-Grizzlies contest early in the third period Wednesday night after hyperextending his left knee, the same one he hyperextended in the preseason. This is purely an off-the-court, nonsense-focused article.)
And oh yeah, Reggie Jackson was there too, but he was much more tight-lipped about the situation.
George, however, spoke freely on the topic, expressing his surprise at the preciseness of the information from the meeting that the media obtained from an unnamed source.
"I don't know how the hell Shams got that story or how that even leaked, especially it being like -- some of it being like kinda word-for-word. Or not necessarily word-for-word, but quoted. That was the crazy part about it.
More on that a little later in the podcast/this article.
But George continued into an explanation that teams calling a meeting to check in, especially when struggling the way the Sixers currently are, is routine in the league.
"The whole meeting, that's like, that's normal in the NBA. Teams go through that. I've been on multiple teams where we'll, at some point, have a meeting and a check-in if things aren't going right or we know we could be playing better and we're trying to get the best out of one another. That's normal. That happens."
"It was healthy. It was positive conversation, it was healthy conversations. We all just want the best. We at a point where -- we're a team that cares. A team that naturally cares about what going on with their team, they're gonna have sit-downs and they're gonna discuss 'how can we get back on track?' or start winning tradition and culture."
Something that has become much more interesting than the meeting itself is the question of who leaked the details of the check-in to the media. It's one thing to have a team meeting and to have some players confronting each other -- it's another thing entirely to have the details of that leaving the locker room.
George was asked about who exactly was in the room for the Monday check-in, and whether or not there was anyone extra from outside of the team present for the meeting.
"The people that was in that room is the people that were supposed to be in that room. It's the people that go out and we're in the trenches with on a nightly basis. That's who was in that room."
Well, that bodes well for the team and organization, doesn't it?!
One thing is for sure: the 2-12 Sixers are a disgusting amalgamation of issues both on the court and off, and the season has only just begun. Flee now while you can or get yourself buckled up because we have a long way to go.