Tyrese Maxey has already heard the right warning once before, and it’s the kind of message he may need again as his role shifts in Philadelphia.
Back when he was a young guard learning on the fly with the 76ers, Maxey got a blunt reminder from James Harden not to lose himself in the presence of bigger names.
"Dont let anybody come in and make it to where I'm not being myself on the basketball court," Maxey recalled when revealing Harden's message to him back in 2022.
That advice landed at a time when Maxey was still a sophomore and had been pushed into the starting lineup because of the Ben Simmons saga, which left the three-time All-Star holding out with a grudge against the team. Harden carried the kind of résumé that could easily make a younger player tentative, but he made it clear Maxey should keep attacking and trust his own game.
That wasn’t always easy. Maxey often deferred to Joel Embiid or Harden in the biggest moments, and it took him years to fully believe he could have the ball in his hands late and take the shot himself. Harden pushed him toward aggressiveness, and Maxey has said he does not think he would be the same player without that guidance.
Now the challenge looks different, but the lesson feels familiar. The 2026-2027 NBA season brings Maxey the biggest opportunity of his career: playing alongside LeBron James.
LeBron is on another level entirely, and Maxey already has a connection with him since entering the NBA, even though they still haven’t shared the floor in a game setting. The addition of Jaylen Brown changes the picture too.
Still, the core message remains the same. Maxey can’t allow the arrival of stars to push him down the hierarchy or make him question his place. Brown proved he could be a No. 1 last year, and LeBron is LeBron, but Maxey still matters as a focal point for the Sixers.
There may be some adjustment in how the offense flows, especially with James as the more polished passer and playmaker. But Maxey should not hesitate about his scoring role. He’s heading into his seventh season, and with 388 games under his belt, he has already done enough in Philadelphia to justify being treated as one of the team’s top offensive priorities.
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Sixers Final Roster Spot Could Fuel LeBrons Title Push
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Maxi Kleber has emerged as a possible candidate for Philadelphias final roster spot, and the fit is easy to see for a team trying to balance star power with usable depth. The decision on that last opening could matter more than it usually does, since the Sixers are not merely filling out the back end of the roster but shaping the supporting cast around a group built to chase a championship run. [Read more 🡒]