Tyrese Maxey was all smiles Tuesday.
Sure, you would be too if someone handed you a five-year, $204 million contract at 23 years old, but we also know this is Maxey. That’s why his decision to trust Daryl Morey and wait on his max extension until now is not surprising.
“This offseason wouldn’t have been possible without him,” Morey said.
You ain’t kidding, Daryl.
Even beyond Maxey’s selfless decision to wait on an extension, his mere presence has kept Joel Embiid happy and attracted the biggest free agent on the market in Paul George.
Imagine the grim reality where the Sixers don’t have Maxey.
Mike Muscala’s shot clanks off the rim and the Thunder’s pick doesn’t convey to the Sixers.
Or one of the 20 teams in front of the Sixers (wisely) selects Maxey in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Or Maxey fell to the Sixers at 21 and they passed on him.
Or worst yet he was used in a trade for James Harden or Kyle Lowry (who both eventually became Sixers anyway).
If any of those events went differently, George is likely not a Sixer right now. Hell, there’s a good chance Embiid would no longer be a Sixer when you think about the roster they would’ve had surrounding him with no Maxey.
After all, it was Embiid who first saw something special in Maxey. Before training camp ahead of the 2020-21 season, Maxey contracted COVID. He arrived a couple days in and was getting third-team reps — not even wearing a real jersey but a pinny. Maxey said his group won in a pick-and-roll drill and he let the superstar big man know about it.
That’s likely what caused Embiid to tell Maxey to go out and score 40 during a COVID-absence-filled contest against the Denver Nuggets early in that season.
’For me, it was like my 10th game,” Maxey said. “I’m like ’40? I’ve barely had 12. I barely play. What do you mean?’ He was like, ‘I really think you can do it. Go out there and do it.’ And that just kind of propelled me. It propelled me to be successful. I’ve always been a confident guy just because of the work that I put in, but when you have a guy like that and an organization that’s confident in you, it really helps you go out there and be yourself.”
On Jan. 9, 2021, Maxey dropped 39, likely leading to a little ribbing from Embiid for not quite notching 40, but that was a real moment for the team’s star duo. It gave Maxey the confidence to step in when Ben Simmons held out the following season — and again when James Harden held out to start the 2023-24 season.
And that’s probably what Maxey has been best known for as a Sixer: when it’s been his turn to step up, he always does. Last year, head coach Nick Nurse and assistant coach Rico Hines were on Maxey to be more of a vocal leader. Maxey was 22 years old and going into his fourth NBA season. Not only that, he was taking the spot of a former MVP and future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
All Maxey did was make his first All-Star team, earn the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award and drop 46 points — including a ridiculous game-tying logo three — in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden to keep the Sixers’ season alive. As far as the leadership role, Maxey has been lauded by several teammates. He was the first to text new arrivals Buddy Hield and Cameron Payne after the trade deadline. He took undrafted rookie Ricky Council IV under his wing.
Maxey is a perfect bridge. He’s an elite player who can help the veterans win now while being young enough to connect with the young talent that will help the Sixers win in the future.
“I think the biggest thing that I’ve been talking to Rico about and Coach Nurse about is being able to drag guys along with me as far as work ethic-wise,” Maxey said. “Joel’s been on me about it: ‘You’ve got to use your voice. You’re working hard every single day. You lead by example, but you’re also good at connecting with guys and encouraging guys.’ I’ve kind of done it all my life, but when I first got here I was just trying to be a sponge and learn as much as possible. I’m still doing that right now, but I think that’s a way I can lead by example.”
Morey said at his end-of-season presser that he’s learned not to put a ceiling on what Maxey can do or accomplish. That feels like a fair assessment.
Though he’s still only 23, Maxey has already accomplished so much and has plenty on his shoulders as a franchise cornerstone. He was reminded of that recently when the team created a “Maxey Museum” as a show of appreciation for his career thus far and to demonstrate his importance to the city. Embiid was on hand. As was Julius Erving. Coaching legends like Dawn Staley and John Calipari were among those to send along a video message.
In a moment like that, does Maxey ever contemplate his legacy here?
“Yeah, I think about it,” he said. “My mom always tells me, ’Sometimes you’ve got to sit down and decompress and actually think about what’s happened, especially this summer.’ Which I have, and I’m extremely grateful.
“But, in my mind, I’m so wired to try to get better every single day and try to find ways to help this organization and be successful. So I take those minutes and hours to think about those things and really appreciate them. Once that’s over, I put that on the back burner and we’re trying to focus on how we’re going to get better and how we’re going to continue that success.”
Get one percent better every day, as a smiley guard likes to say.
