It’s not often that a rookie comes into any team and he has the support of legitimate stars such as Ben Simmons and LeBron James. It must mean that you have their respect quickly and Philadelphia 76ers rookie Tyrese Maxey has certainly done just that.
Once he was drafted on Wednesday, Maxey received congratulatory tweets from both Simmons and James who are two of the elite players in the game. It goes to show that he is already respected amongst the highest of his peers and that they know he can play in this league.
“I think it’s because I stay consistent,” said Maxey. “I’ve been in the gym since May. I went out to LA in May and I’ve been in there working every single day. I think everybody stops by and they see me working and grinding and I think that’s why we have that connection. It’s been great having a guy like LeBron or even Ben Simmons as an older brother and mentors and somebody like me, a rookie coming into the league, it’s great to have those guys on your side.”
@TyreseMaxey CONGRATS Lil bro!! Proud of you kid. The work continues! Philly got a good one for sure! 🙏🏾✊🏾👑
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 19, 2020
It also helps that Maxey shares the same agency as those two with Klutch Sports. They both want to look out for him and make sure he is doing the right thing.
“I have a great relationship with those guys,” the rookie added. “Especially being with Klutch, under the same agent, it’s been great. Those guys are very inspirational, they’re like big brothers to me, and now being on the team with Ben is really cool.”
Welcome to Philly @TyreseMaxey 🙌🏽
— Ben Simmons (@BenSimmons25) November 19, 2020
Now that Maxey is with the Sixers, it is now time to see Simmons as a teammate and the two of them can get to work. After he was selected, the All-Star sent his new rookie a text.
“I’ve been watching him workout,” Maxey added. “He worked out right after I was working out. It’s great to watch him get ready to work on his game. I feel like he’s been shooting the ball well and it’s great to meet him. I just talked to him and he said ‘get ready to get to work’.”
The Sixers were shocked to see Maxey fall to them at 21 and they could not pass up the opportunity to bring in a guy who has lottery talent. His shooting is shaky, but at the moment, he is willing to put the work in and show that he can be a good shooter in this league.
If he continues to work hard and add to his game, he will certainly keep the respect of both Simmons and James as his career moves forward. [lawrence-related id=39301,39267,39261]