“You Need to Show Up”: Tyrese Maxey’s Ballsy ‘Joel Embiid Callout’ Earned Him Lakers Legend’s Respect

Not many young players would show the guts to stand up to an MVP teammate. But not everyone is Tyrese Maxey, who is carrying the Philadelphia 76ers this year despite the presence of two future Hall of Famers on the roster.

Maxey is averaging 31.6 points per game for the 76ers in the 2025–26 season. Remove him, and the 76ers would once again be in the doldrums. And Maxey has more to him than just production.

James Worthy shed light on a story about a young Maxey that made him realize just how special he truly is. The Lakers legend was speaking about the 25-year-old in the buildup to Philly’s game against his former side when he revealed how Maxey once confronted Embiid over his loose attitude.

The part about Embiid, of course, doesn’t come as a surprise. The big man has struggled with injuries, but it’s also true that he’s very lax when it comes to training. Maxey hated seeing that.

“When I knew he was solid, it was when he spoke up. I think Embiid was kind of late for practice sometimes, [and] didn’t show up. And the young kid was like dude, you need to show up and lead us,” Worthy revealed.

“And that’s when I knew he had the quality and the mental aspect to play the game,” he added.

This happened last season when the Sixers were 2-11. During a team meeting, Maxey spoke up. Joel took the criticism in stride and rightfully so. Fast-forward to the present day, and Embiid is all praises, saying, “Young superstar coming in, face of the franchise,” when referring to the point guard who was drafted by the Sixers in 2020.

Tyrese has flirted with the idea of being the main man on the 76ers because, regardless of Embiid, Paul George, or James Harden’s absence, he was always there. He cares about the franchise that drafted him and has always shown 100% commitment.

After a 13th-place finish in the Eastern Conference last season, the 76ers are in a much better place this campaign. They’re currently 7th with a 13-10 record; their latest loss (108-112) coming against the Lakers. Maxey scored 28 in the game.