Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey has established himself as one of the hardest-working players in the NBA this season.
His hard work has not affected his performance, demonstrating his ability in each encounter.
Maxey, was already averaging 40.3 minutes per game, leading the league in this aspect. His performance culminated in an impressive personal record of 54 points and 9 assists in the overtime victory against the Milwaukee Bucks, where he played 46 and a half minutes. This achievement places him alongside Wilt Chamberlain as the only 76ers players to reach at least 50 points and 9 assists in a single game, according to data from Elias Sports Bureau. Blessed. I thank God for this. You can’t complain when you’re in a conversation with Wilt, who scored 100 points. This outstanding performance came after playing 39 minutes in the loss against the Toronto Raptors. The absence of Joel Embiid, due to a knee injury, and the limited availability of Paul George, have increased Maxey’s workload. Philadelphia (9-6) remains above 50% wins, thanks in large part to Maxey, who averages 33.4 points per game, ranking second in the league, only behind Luka Dončić of the Los Angeles Lakers (34.6).Maxey, who was called up to the All-Star Game in the 2023-24 season, had a season interrupted in 2024-25 due to a finger injury, but took advantage of the downtime to study videos and return with evident tenacity. Despite the quadriceps discomfort, Maxey decided to play against the Raptors, seeking to amend his previous performance. His response was resounding, with 18 of 30 field goals, 6 of 15 three-pointers, and 12 of 14 free throws. His free throws in the final seconds forced overtime. 76ers coach Nick Nurse commented that Maxey didn’t want to leave the game in the final quarter, demonstrating his commitment. Maxey attributed his energy to the Bucks’ zone game, which allowed him less physical wear and tear. The player is willing to play as long as necessary to win, even if that means leading the league in minutes played.He’s special. He’s talented. What they don’t see is that after the game, in a back-to-back, with more than 45 minutes, he goes and lifts weights. That says a lot about who he is, why he is where he is. I’ve been with many greats in this league. That’s what they do. They do things like that that keep them going, keep them strong, always working on themselves.
Paul George
