Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George made an appearance at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this week, but he wasn’t alone. Sitting courtside with him was his four-year-old son, Paul Vuk George. And together, the duo turned what was a casual off-season game into one of the most heartwarming highlights of the summer.

It wasn’t the stats, the plays, or the future prospects that had social media buzzing this time. Just a dad and his son, vibing in the arena, caught smiling and waving on the jumbotron. Within minutes, clips and photos flooded Instagram and X. But one reaction, in particular, stood out. The photo, showing the two smiling as Vuk confidently waved to the camera, was pure. Fans flooded the comment sections, predicting Vuk would one day follow in his father’s footsteps, some even jokingly calling him “PG4” already.

It wasn’t long before Daniela George jumped in on the moment. She posted an Instagram Story featuring the photo of Paul and little Vuk courtside, originally shared by both the @nba and @sixers accounts. Her caption? “I cannnnot 🥹😍😍”. Just the raw, emoji-laced expression of a mom soaking in her family’s spotlight. It was the perfect punctuation to a viral clip that had already captured fans’ hearts.

There was something magnetic about the image. Not just the NBA bloodline on display, but the simple joy. A four-year-old beaming under the lights, with his All-Star dad beside him, both soaking it all in. This wasn’t a scripted promo, or a press moment. It was real.

As the 76ers work their way through what could be a pivotal summer, moments like this one offer fans something else…hope, connection, and a reminder of what really fuels this league: family, legacy, and love for the game. And while Paul George and his son stole hearts in the stands, another name loomed heavily over the franchise…Joel Embiid.

What is happening with Joel Embiid ?

According to RealGM and The Athletic’s Tony Jones, the reigning MVP still hasn’t returned to on-court activities following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April. That procedure marked his second knee operation in just over a year. The Philadelphia 76ers are still holding onto hope. “I think we’re optimistic where things are at with Joel, and we are looking forward to next season,” Daryl Morey, Sixers President of Basketball Operations, said Friday.

However, the team remains confident that Embiid will be available for the season opener. But optimism isn’t a timeline. And for Sixers fans, this isn’t the first time they’ve had to balance cautious hope with brutal reality. Embiid only played 19 games last season before being ruled out for the year in late February. What was initially swelling in the knee turned into a lost season. Again. The surgery was supposed to fix that. But now, months later, there’s still no word of him stepping back onto the court. It’s a concerning silence.

The Sixers are built around Embiid and always have been. Even with the arrival of Paul George and the rise of Tyrese Maxey, Embiid is the center, literally and figuratively. The franchise needs him healthy. Not just for game one, but for the full season. They’ve seen what the floor looks like without him. And it’s not pretty. Last season, even when Embiid was on the court, he didn’t look right. His movement was limited, dominance…muted, and presence, inconsistent. After the second surgery, fans hoped this was the end of that story. Instead, they’re still waiting to see the first page of the next chapter. There’s no guarantee what version of Embiid we’ll see when training camp begins.. The updates are vague. The confidence? Conditional.

But for now, there are moments to hold on to. Moments like Paul George and his son laughing courtside, building their own legacy. Small, powerful flashes of what this game is ultimately about. And the Sixers, like the fans are still hoping the answer for Embiid will come in the form of a healthy return, ready to chase what’s been slipping through their fingers for years: a shot at a title. Until then, we’ll keep watching.