It’s safe to say that LeBron James is a fan of Philadelphia 76ers star guard Tyrese Maxey.
James and Maxey have worked out together in the summer for several years, and James has enjoyed watching Maxey blossom into a superstar from relatively humble beginnings.
LeBron James calls Tyrese Maxey one of the best guards in the NBA
The Lakers star recently made a bold, but true claim about the Sixers star during an episode of his Mind the Game podcast.
"The kid has everything,” James said of Maxey. “He's one of the best point guards not only in the Eastern Conference, but in the NBA."
Given what Maxey has done on the floor so far this season, it’s almost impossible to refute James’ claim. The sixth-year guard is averaging 31.0 points, 7.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds this season. All of those numbers represent career highs.
Maxey is also the main reason that the Sixers currently sit fifth in the East with a 19-15 record. Without his consistent production and high usage, the outlook in Philadelphia this season would be much more bleak.
There were no guarantees that Maxey was going to become an All-Star when he slipped out of the lottery and fell to the Sixers at No. 21 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. But, dedication and hard work have helped to propel him into his current position.
"I've worked out and trained with him over the last few summers," James said of Maxey. "Every morning, 5 a.m., we're in the gym, 5:30, whatever, in the gym. And you just see his dedication. Shows up on time, on target, every single day. A guy who just loves the game and is taking full advantage of the opportunity in Philly.”
But, as big a fan of Maxey’s play on the court that James is, he seems to be an even bigger fan of who Maxey is off of the court.
“I love the kid—I talked about it when we played Philly not too long ago about not only how incredible of a basketball player he is, but how much better he is as a person,” James said. “Which is saying a lot, because he's an unbelievable basketball player."
As someone who has covered Maxey extensively since he entered the league, he just seems like a genuine, down-to-earth type of guy, who also happens to be unbelievable at basketball and approaches the game with a true hunger to improve. It’s easy to root for a guy like that.
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