Getty Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
For all of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ early season struggles, at least there’s Tyrese Maxey. The young star took Philadelphia by storm last year after a strong sophomore campaign in which he over-doubled his points per game, assists per game, and three-point volume.
In many ways, Maxey filled the void at guard left behind by Ben Simmons. And in many more ways, the two players couldn’t be further apart in terms of personality. Simmons was a top pick who carried himself as though his feces smelled like daffodils. Maxey, on the other hand, was a late first-round pick who has scrapped his way into the Sixers’ starting five through hard work and a genuine connection with the fans. So far this season, Maxey is drilling 37.8% of his threes, on a career-high 5.8 attempts per game.
And his breakout last season is turning more hands than just the Sixers loyal. According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Maxey might have some interest in suiting up for Team Basketball at next year’s FIBA World Cup.
“I would love to play for the country,” Maxey said. “That would be cool. It’s always a blessing to represent your country, play with different guys, and go out there and compete.”
Maxey isn’t the only Sixer facing big decisions when it comes to playing for his country. Over the summer, Joel Embiid took similar steps to play for Team USA.
Joel Embiid Interested in Playing for USA, France?
Over the summer, Sixers superstar Joel Embiid officially became a U.S. citizen. After the move, Team USA was reported to have “firm interest” in the native Cameroonian by NBA insider Marc Stein.
If the Sixers did land Embiid’s services on the international table, it would be a huge boon for the Stars and Stripes. As it stands, there’s no clear favorite to start for the United States at center in next summer’s World Cup. At the most recent Olympics, it was Javale McGee who earned that honor. While the USA boasts big men like Jarrett Allen, Jaren Jackson, Jr., and Myles Turner, it’s unclear whether any of those three will pull the trigger and play next summer.
Easy peasy, right? Not so fast. Embiid also got his French citizenship last summer, with hopes of playing for Les Bleus at EuroBasket. Ultimately, Embiid’s paperwork wasn’t completed on time and his facial and hand injuries suffered in last year’s playoffs threw a wrench in those plans. But there’s definite interest in Embiid’s part to play for the French team.
“Sources say that Embiid has already engaged in discussions with longtime NBA forward Boris Diaw, who serves as the general manager of the French national team, about joining Les Bleus,” Stein explained.
For now, though, both Maxey and Embiid will have to settle for playing for the Sixers. The team is looking to rebound after a tough loss to the Toronto Raptors Wednesday night.
Embiid actually called out his teammates after the loss.
Embiid: ‘It’s All About Effort’
The Sixers’ season so far has lacked two key elements: effort and wins. It’s something Embiid explained to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer on Wednesday.
“It’s all about effort. You got to be honest about it. It doesn’t matter what the coaching staff says. It doesn’t matter what the game plan is. If we don’t go out there and execute, we are not going to go anywhere. So it’s all about effort, having the mentality of playing hard and having each other’s back and just flying around.”
If the team picks up the effort, the wins should follow. How’s that for killing two birds with one stone?