76ers' Paul George Going on Podcast Hiatus to Focus on Injury Rehab, NBA Playoff Push

Paul George is taking a break from podcasting in order to focus on a potential playoff push by the Philadelphia 76ers.

George announced his hiatus after speaking with Dwight Howard on Monday's episode of Podcast P with Paul George.

"I want to let the Podcast P family know that, after today's episode with Dwight, I plan to take a break from the pod just to focus on getting my body right, getting mentally right, and make this squad make a push towards our goal to finish this season out, give ourselves a chance to be in contention, to compete for a championship," George said around the 1:26:30 mark of the podcast.

George's announcement comes amid uncertainty surrounding the future of 76ers star Joel Embiid, who is currently sidelined as he undergoes testing on his injured left knee.

The news also comes amid increased scrutiny regarding George's podcasting activity amid one of the worst seasons of his career, which is coming less than a year after he signed a four-year, $212 million max contract to join the Sixers last offseason.

The Howard interview marks the 61st episode of Podcast P uploaded to YouTube since George's first season with the Sixers tipped off on Oct. 23.

Since that date George has played in just 38 games, while averaging his lowest full-season output in over a decade with 16.2 points per game over the span.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse has told reporters he is not ready to commit to Embiid's season being over, but Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer recently reported Embiid is considering "radical" procedures requiring up to a year of rehab in order to prolong his career.

The Sixers currently sit 2.5 games back of the Chicago Bulls and behind the Brooklyn Nets for the last play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. Given the uncertainty surrounding Embiid's future, the team would likely need a strong back third of the season from George in order to make a late push for the postseason.

George launched Podcast P in March 2023. There has since been more than 1,000 videos posted to the podcast's YouTube channel. If his hiatus from the show comes alongside any improvements on the court, the break could raise questions about athletes' participation in in-season podcasts going forward.