In the 2020 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Tyrese Maxey with their 21st pick. In hindsight, NBA scouts had underestimated his talent level considerably. However, coming to the 76ers has panned out magnificently for the young guard as he has repeatedly credited the 76ers franchise and their centerpiece, Joel Embiid for his rapid growth in the league, which even paved the way for an All-Star appearance and the Most Improved Player award this year.
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Quite deservedly so, the 76ers recently rewarded him with a five-year, $204 million contract extension. During a ceremony organized by the franchise to celebrate their star guard’s extension, Maxey gave an emotional tribute to Embiid for trusting in him before anyone else did.
He became nostalgic during his speech, recalling an incident when the 76ers Center eased his nerves at the very beginning of his NBA journey. To showcase his bonhomie toward the future star, Embiid gifted Maxey a PlayStation, a gesture that touched the rookie’s heart and still remains deeply etched to this day.
While addressing Joel Embiid, who attended the congratulatory extension ceremony, Maxey said,
“Big fella, thanks for coming man, I really appreciate that. You were the first person to believe in me, I keep telling everybody that. Just walking on to the plane, you telling me to sit there, you bringing me a PlayStation meant the world to me, hope I’m not gonna let you down.”
“Big fella… You were the first person to really believe in me… Just walking onto the plane, you telling me to sit there, you bringing me a PlayStation… That meant the world to me… I hope I’m not going to let you down.”
~ An emotional Tyrese Maxey to Joel Embiid pic.twitter.com/MItrxILRGx
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) July 8, 2024
These words exude that Embiid is not just an ideal teammate, but a terrific mentor to the 23-year-old. He enabled Maxey’s growth by making him feel a part of his journey and acknowledging him at every turn. Therefore, the 76ers guard was overcome with emotions as he showed his appreciation to Embiid.
It also shows that the 76ers displayed faith in the right athlete during the 2020 NBA draft when Maxey surprisingly fell out of the lottery despite being projected to be picked around the 10-14th mark. In the long run, the decision helped them acquire their second-most reliable scorer, who kept the team alive during the first-round series against the Knicks in the 2024 playoffs.
The rise of Maxey may have also played a role in Embiid’s willingness to run it back with the 76ers. During the 2023 offseason, he hinted at leaving the 76ers if things didn’t pan out well during the 2023-24 season. However, recently, he has sounded hopeful about his squad’s title chances for the 2024-25 season.
Now that Paul George has joined them, Embiid has the required depth to finally make it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in his decade-plus career. Maxey would love to help his 2023 MVP teammate to realize his elusive championship dream.
