As they continue to battle to playoff position, one of the biggest storylines for the Philadelphia 76ers this season has been the play of Tyrese Maxey. Following his history-making performance against the Miami Heat, the star guard received a heartfelt message from his superstar running mate.
Maxey has grown in multiple areas since getting drafted in 2020, but arguably his biggest leap has been his three-point shooting. He’s steadily improved in this facet of the game over the years, and is now on pace to shooting 37% or better from deep for the fourth time.
While steadily improving his outside shot, Maxey quickly rose up the Sixers’ leaderboard when it comes to all-time makes. This culminated with a monumental moment on February 26th, as he finally surpassed Hall of Famer Allen Iverson for the top in franchise history in this category.
Following the Sixers’ victory over Miami, the team congratulated Maxey for his historic accomplishment in the locker room. It was capped off by Joel Embiid, who ended up giving him the game ball. The former MVP had nothing but great things to say about Maxey, imploring him to make sure nobody ever has a chance to take this feat from him.
“Extremely proud of you,” Embiid said to Maxey. “Seen you put the work in all those summers and each year you’ve gotten better. Extremely proud of you, just make sure no one catches you ever again.”
game ball goes to @TyreseMaxey
Ex-Sixers Forward Congratulates Tyrese Maxey on Making History
Throughout the course of the night, many people took the time to congratulate Maxey for claiming his spot atop the Sixers’ all-time rankings for three-pointers made. Among those to do so is a player also in the top five in franchise history, journeyman forward Robert Covington.
The former Sixers wing took to Instagram to give his praise to Maxey, and echoed a similar message as Embiid. He too wants to see the 25-year-old run away with this feat as he gets ready to enter the prime of his career.
Covington and Maxey briefly crossed paths in 2024, as the two-way wing returned to Philly via the LA Clippers as part of the James Harden trade. He’d appear in 26 games during his second stint with the franchise before being sidelined due to injury.
Sixers Coach Nick Nurse Gives His Thoughts on Tyrese Maxey’s Historic Feat
While speaking with the media postgame, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse fielded questions about Maxey etching his name in the history books. Having had a front row seat to Maxey’s emergence into stardom, he believes he won’t be surrendering this feat anytime soon.
“He obviously took care of that early in the game tonight,” Nurse said. “But it’s an amazing record. And I think he’s going to have some time to increase it, right? [It’ll] be a tough one to beat by the time he’s done.”
Maxey has been the driving force for the Sixers all season, posting impressive averages of 29.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 6.8 APG. With eclipsing the record behind him now, he can shift all his focus back to making sure Philadelphia finds its way back into the postseason this year.
Sixers Star Gives Heartfelt Speech to Tyrese Maxey Amid Historic Feat