Paul George returns to the beach with his wife after missing NBA playoffs… months after controversial snaps

The NBA playoffs are gathering pace but for the $212million Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George, the postseason has been a time to switch off from the game.

George is back at the beach with his stunning wife Daniela Rajic, who tagged her husband in mulitple loved-up pictures on Instagram over the weekend.

And in one selfie of herself on a sunbed, Daniela captioned a picture: ‘Happy girl’.

But if things had been different, she would be getting ready to cheer her husband on in the NBA playoffs at present as the season hits the final straight.

The 76ers were tipped to dethrone the reigning champions Boston Celtics this year, thanks in part to their trade for George from the Los Angeles Clippers.

But George, who turns 35 on Friday, endured a terrible debut season with his team as the Sixers fell to 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-58 record. He also sparked controversy with some suggestive pictures with his wife from a Caribbean beach break in February, while his team were struggling to save their season.

Paul George is back on vacation with his wife Daniela after his miserable NBA campaign

The couple kissed on the beach while Daniela said she was a ‘happy girl’ in another snap

Paul George poses with his wife Daniela during a vacation over the NBA All-Star weekend

George hismelf averaged 16.2 points in 41 games for his team, a far cry from the form that led many to believe he was bringing an extra dimension to Philadelphia.

His difficult first season in Philly ended prematurely, as well. In mid-March, it emegered he needed injections in his left adductor muscle and left knee.

As a result, it brought the season down early on his team’s losing campaign.

The news about George, even while he was struggling for form, was a particular blow for the 76ers given how just days earlier, Joel Embiid’s knee injury also ended his year.

‘It was just, to be honest, one of the toughest seasons for me,’ George said to Philly Voice about his year.

‘Just with a lot of adversity on the court, off the court and then again, the injury stuff was some stuff that I didn’t necessarily know I had going on until deep-diving and finding out there was other stuff that we, that I didn’t know was going on.

‘Not being able to do things that I normally could do and then finding out the reasons why, those things are being addressed. So that’s the positive.

‘I know what level I can play at when I am healthy and obviously it’s a struggle when I’m not healthy.

George, 34, said that his season in Philadelphia was one of the hardest of his career

‘So for me, it’s just trying to get my body in as best shape as possible, get as healthy as possible and continue to do the work that I’ve been doing.’

In the All-Star break back in February, George sparked controversy by sharing steamy pictures from the Caribbean with his wife Daniela.

His wife shared a provocative picture of herself and George posing together on the beach during their weekend vacation.

George has been with his wife for a decade. They have three kids together and got married in June 2022.