The news that Philadelphia 76ers small forward Paul George got arrested is nothing but a sarcastic poke at the team’s flop season posted by an Instagram page.
On March 19, 2025, a striking Instagram post from the popular basketball Instagram page hoopinsight sent shockwaves through the NBA community.
The image depicting Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George was paired with the caption, which read, “Paul George has been arrested for robbing the Philadelphia 76ers of $212M 🚔🚨 ,” accompanied by sirens and police emojis.
The Instagram post made grand rounds on the web in nearly no time with several comments and reactions.
One comment read, “I honestly thought this was real when I saw the headline.” The comment is directed at the announcement of the 76ers surrounding George’s missing the season.
Just days before the Instagram post, on March 17, 2025, the Philadelphia 76ers announced devastating news.
Paul George, their marquee offseason signing, would miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season due to a left adductor and left knee injury requiring injections and a six-week recovery period.
With only 41 games played and a career-low 16.2 points per game, George’s first year with the 76ers had already been a disappointment.
The term “robbing the Philadelphia 76ers of $212M” suggests that George, in the eyes of some fans, has not given the $212 million 4-year-contract value that he was paid for, literally “stealing” from the team.
Another comment that stood out, “Why they ain’t arrest Embiid?!” hinted at the frustration surrounding the 76ers’ injury-riddled season.
The $212 million, four-year contract he signed in the summer of 2024, intended to pair him with Joel Embiid and elevate the team to championship contention, is now overshadowed as an economic stay-around.
To make matters worse, Embiid had also been shut down earlier in the season, leaving the 23-45 76ers in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with nothing to their name for their roster of superstars.
Henceforth, the Instagram post was clearly not a factual report of an arrest. No credible news outlets have reported any legal trouble for the nine-time All-Star, and the exaggerated tone of the caption with dramatic emojis points to satire.
The comment about Joel Embiid only contributes to this interpretation. Embiid, another highly paid star who has suffered a string of injury setbacks, has also been a lightning rod for criticism this season.
The commenter’s sarcastic remark, “Why they ain’t arrest Embiid?!” extends the joke by implying that the two players share equal responsibility for the 76ers‘ poor season.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- NBA star Paul George is engaged to Daniela Rajic, and they have two daughters.
- In 2020, he signed a four-year, $176.3 million contract extension with the Clippers, making him one of the highest-paid players in the league. His career earnings include a rookie contract with the Indiana Pacers worth $10.5 million and a five-year, $91.6 million extension in 2013.
