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The Philadelphia 76ers will face the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, squaring off against each other for both teams’ first game game of the 2025-26 regular season. Ahead of Philadelphia’s season opener, the team announced an update on forward Paul George’s injury recovery. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in July, which has set him back heading into the new NBA year. More news: Lakers Star Gets 5-Year, $150 Million Contract Projection On Sunday, three days before the game against the Celtics, George was a full participant in practice, a step in the right direction which may signal a return to the NBA hardwood soon. “He looked good. He’s moving good. He needs to have some more conditioning and things. But he looked good. He’s really pushing himself to get in shape,” head coach Nick Nurse said about George, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 13: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to media prior to the game against the Chicago Bulls at the Wells Fargo Center on April 13, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) “Defensively, he looked really good,” Nurse added. “He was really moving. He really knows what he is doing on that end. But yeah, he’s making progress.” Earlier reports indicated that George returning for opening night would unlikely, though even if he does miss the game, his comeback should only be a handful of games into the season if his recovery continues to progress. More news: Lakers Receive Huge Update on Austin Reaves’ Future Considering how quickly he returned to the court, just a little over three months from his knee surgery, reporters asked Nurse if George was ahead of schedule. “I don’t know about that,” he said. “But he’s out there. I think he made progress in each of the last three sessions. Again, it’s been the first practice that he’s been all the way through. And the last practice was the first time he’d ever played five-on-five. “We’re happy to see him out there. We’ll just keep making progressions.” George missed 41 games last season due to multiple injuries, and he is now starting this season on the mend once again. He signed a four-year, $211.6 million deal during free agency with the Sixers last offseason, and it is looking like one of the worst value propositions in the league. There is still time for George to turn his career in Philly around, but none of that can start until he gets back on the court. More news: Warriors Shockingly Cut Ties With Steph Curry’s Brother Ahead of Regular Season For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
