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Some athletes simply understand Philadelphia. It is a passionate and hard-nosed city that takes its sports seriously and is made up of people not afraid to let you know how they feel. While its negative side is often portrayed nationally, it is a terrific place to play for those who embrace it. Tyrese Maxey has quickly become an athlete in which this has become the case. The 21-year-old’s impressive work ethic, radiant personality, and high-level on-court play have made him easy to embrace.
Maxey took his next step in becoming a true ‘Philadelphian’ by expressing his love for Wawa. In this episode of “Put You On,” Maxey discusses his Wawa experience through the fun-loving lens through which he views life. He gave major props to the quality of a Wawa Iced Team, their Italian hoagies, and the overall quality of experience of the convenience store. The five-minute discussion can be seen in the tweet below:
Maxey’s Work Ethic
Heading into his third season in the NBA, Maxey was asked about why he believed he has been embraced by Philadelphia so easily. He pointed to his work ethic being the reason and stated:
“I think it’s the work ethic. You know, the City of Philadelphia is such a blue-collar city and it’s like everybody here that goes to the games or that I see around town, they work extremely hard for what they have- like extremely hard for what they have. So when you work hard for what you have, you really cherish it. And I really believe that because I worked extremely hard to get where I am today. Nothing was given to them, nothing was given to me. You know, I went out and took everything I got. I never had any handouts” -Tyrese Maxey
The Kentucky product has made 5 AM workouts his routine and claims this dates back to before his college days. He has worked out with a variety of established NBA trainers, including famed skills coach Chris Johnson who trains LeBron James, Jordan Clarkson, DeAndre Jordan, and more. The work has translated to the court and the growth that Maxey has seen early in his career has been extremely impressive.
Expectations for Maxey in 2022-23
The former 21st pick has transformed himself from a feel-good player who exceeded early expectations into a key part of the Sixers’ short-term and long-term goals. Last season, he averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.2 assists while shooting 42.7% from beyond the arc. Maxey is expected to take another step forward this season with a full year to play alongside James Harden and more time to continue developing.
He showed the early signs of continued growth in his preseason debut. Maxey scored 20 points and added three assists in just 14 minutes of play. The young guard stole the spotlight with Harden and Embiid on the bench. His strong play drove the Sixers out to a commanding lead over the Nets which ultimately drove the team to a preseason victory.
While it is only preseason, the expectation is for this type of effort to carry over to the regular season. His dynamic combination of pace and skill is difficult to match up with and the layers that have already been added to Maxey’s game are impressive. The Sixers will officially kick off their season against the Boston Celtics on October 18th but have three more preseason matchups before this. It is to be determined if Maxey suits up for all of these matchups but the Sixers’ home preseason debut will occur against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight.
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