Getty Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers
It hasn’t been an easy year for Tyrese Maxey. After beginning the season with the starting five, Maxey has been relegated to a bench role for the Philadelphia 76ers. However, despite having to acclimate to his new role, Maxey revealed an encouraging message given to him by a Sixers legend.
During an interview on “The Young Person Podcast With RJ Hampton,” Maxey revealed the message given to him by Allen Iverson.
“Just talking to A.I., and you know I call him O.G., and every time he sees me, he tells me like, ‘Man, you gonna be the one. You’re gonna be the one. You can do it. You can do this.’ The faith that he has in me, it’s just a feeling that just feels like no other,” Maxey said.
Maxey went on to praise Iverson for his career accomplishments, particularly for how he managed to take the Sixers to the NBA Finals in 2001 to play against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“He’s a great. He’s like a Hall of Famer. He’s one of the ones at the end of the day. He led the team to the finals, and that was a tough team to lead to the finals. They were great, but what he was doing, and he got a game out of the Lakers.”
Why Maxey Should Remain as Sixth Man
Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer explained why Maxey should remain as the Sixers’ sixth man going forward.
“The sixth-man role shouldn’t be something long-term. It’s just more impactful for the team this season,” Pompey said. “It allows him to be the offensive leader of the second unit instead of taking a back seat to Harden-Joel Embiid two-man game. In the starting lineup, most of his importunities came on the receiving end of up-the-court passes in transition.”
Pompey added why it’s best that Maxey not play next to Harden.
“But off the bench, he gets to handle the ball more and be more impactful. And if we’re being honest here, the starting backcourt of Maxey and Harden has been a defensive liability.”
Tyler Herro Pays Respects to Maxey
After the Miami Heat beat the Sixers on February 27, Heat guard Tyler Herro praised Maxey, believing that he’s good enough to start.
“Tyrese is just a great player,” Herro said, per Ky Carlin of SixersWire. “A great young player. I seen early on he was starting, and now he’s coming off the bench after his injury, and it’s not easy going from a starting role. He’s capable of being a starter on any team in the league.”
Herro continued by delving into how hard he thinks it is for Maxey to have that role.
“I’m sure it’s not easy going from a starter to a bench role,” Herro said. “Especially, if you’re someone like him, but he’s a great player. I’m excited to watch him continue to grow.”
Herro is the league’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year, but he too has seen his role change with the Heat, as he has started every game with the Heat this season. Even if it’s not the same, Herro knows what Maxey is going through to have a different role with his team.