Tyrese Maxey with his parents and coach John Calipari in Indianapolis at the NBA All-Star Game. (UK Athletics Photo)
Former Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey had 10 points in his first NBA All-Star Game Sunday and even made a half-court shot during the skills competition the day before the game.
Maxey, 23, is averaging 25.7 points and 6.4 assists per game for the Philadelphia 76ers this season and was praised by NBA superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant during all-star weekend. Maxey worked out with James in the offseason while Durant mentioned Maxey when asked to name the next potential face of the NBA.
“It’s a lot of guys, but you see Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], Book (Devin Booker), Luka [Doncic], Tyrese Maxey, Tyrese Haliburton,” Durant said about the next potential star. “So many guys inspiring the next generation of hoopers after them to become basketball players that you can’t just pinpoint it to one or two guys. It’s about pushing the game forward, setting a different standard of how we play, and these guys are doing it right now.”
Maxey, who has had two 50-point games the season, was drafted 21st overall in 2020 despite shooting just 29 percent from 3-point range his only season at UK. He became a starter his second season.
Here is part of what Maxey had to say at his all-star press conference:
Q. What do you think you’ll remember about your first All-Star experience?
TYRESE MAXEY: “I think all the support. My entire family’s here, a lot of friends. A couple of the Sixers staff, organization, media people. It’s just been great, honestly. I’m just extremely happy. I think it’s a great opportunity for myself to just go out here and kind of decompress and have fun and get ready for the second half of the season.”
Q. How much different has it been to be an All-Star rather than a Rising Star? How much different has the weekend been?
TYRESE MAXEY: “Extremely different. But good different, though, not bad different. Good different. More people know you. I’ve done a lot more media stuff, a lot more appearances and whatnot, but it’s been great. I’ve had a great time.”
Q. With all the events you’ve done throughout the last couple of days, what’s been your favorite? What’s been the coolest thing?
TYRESE MAXEY: “I think seeing the billboard (of him in New Balance gear) on the skyscraper on the building (near the Indiana Convention Center), that was really cool. That and then also I had a dinner with New Balance and my family, my entire family — nieces, sisters, my dad, my mom, my grandma. That’s amazing to me because it’s a family. They’ve done a lot for me and my family as well. To do that and have that family moment, that was great.”
One Response
Maybe the fraud should have been preparing his team for a trip to LSU