Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers' gamble in the summer of 2023 has paid off. The point guard, now an All-Star, had to wait before signing his first big contract a few weeks ago. His patience allowed the Sixers to free up a huge amount of money for free agency, and the management knew how to make good use of it.
In addition to Andre Drummond (Bulls), Eric Gordon (Suns), Caleb Martin (Heat) and Reggie Jackson (Nuggets), the Sixers mostly spent $212 million to acquire Paul George and form a new “Big Three”. And it was Joel Embiid who announced the imminent arrival of the former Clippers player to Tyrese Maxey.
“He (Paul George) became a free agent and Joel (Embiid) said to me: 'This is what I want to do'”, remembers Tyrese Maxey in his new teammate's podcast. I said, 'Listen, I'm going to go all in with you. I think it's a great idea.' I was watching an episode of your podcast the other day, and when you think about it, it's like the equation is crazy. We have, if not the best player in the world, the best big man in the world, Joel, and then we have me, a point guard, and then a wing with you. You can't ask for anything better.”
Supporters who want players who reflect their image
Tyrese Maxey also took the opportunity to discuss the mentality of the local fans, who are very demanding with his players.
“I feel a connection with Philly fans because I was never given anything growing up,” explains the leader. “I wasn’t ranked high when I was younger, I had to go out there and work for everything I got. Philly fans and the locals are very passionate about their teams. They work extremely hard, the people you see in the stands are hard working people, and they work to buy tickets. When they come to the games, they just want to make sure we’re playing our best.”
Concretely, this support from fans is expressed by being recognized and stopped in the street and these interactions often result in advice received from fans.
“I come somewhere and they say, 'Maxey!' and they come at you like they know us,” he describes. “Like, ‘Hey, what’s up, Max?’ I’m like, ‘What’s up, man? I’m good.’ And they’re just giving me advice, like, ‘Hey, you gotta start shooting more mid-range, you gotta start doing that more, you gotta be more aggressive.’ It’s just affection. I love them. They’re gonna show passion. If there’s one thing they’re gonna do, it’s rally around us.”
