Tyrese Maxey
Al Bello/Getty Images
Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers in action against the New York Knicks during their game at Madison Square Garden.
Fans of Philadelphia sports teams are used to winning these days. So the Philadelphia 76ers‘ 2024-25 season was a huge disappointment.
Star guard Tyrese Maxey is apparently aware of that, and he sent an encouraging message to 76ers fans via X (formerly Twitter) late Tuesday night.
https://x.com/TyreseMaxey/status/1922496661449846798
The 76ers had reached the NBA playoffs in seven straight seasons before a combination of injuries and awful play led to their 24-58 record this year.
Still, Philadelphia caught a massive break thanks to the ping-pong balls at the NBA Draft Lottery this Monday, and the future may be looking brighter than expected.
Picking Third
After loading up to surround Maxey and 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid with talent, the 76ers were expecting to chase a championship in 2024-25.
But Embiid’s balky knee, which cost him all but 58 games over the past two seasons — including 63 games in 2024-25 — led to a hole in the middle. The Sixers did not have a single player play more than 75 games this season, with stars Paul George (41 games) and Maxey (52) suiting up for far fewer than anyone would have hoped.
Still, Philadelphia won 24 games, which was good enough for 13th place in the 15-team Eastern Conference, and was the fifth-fewest in the NBA.
Still, the 76ers owe a first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder, thanks to a deal five years ago that sent Al Horford there for Danny Green. This year’s first was top-six protected, which left the possibility of the 76ers surrendering their lottery pick very much in jeopardy — especially since the league-worst Jazz will select fifth.
But the Sixers caught a massive break and jumped to the No. 3 pick — behind the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs. Philadelphia executive Daryl Morey can either choose between Rutgers products Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper or trade down and collect more draft assets to help the Sixers reload.
Still, by picking a top-three caliber player — especially in a top-heavy draft like this one — the Sixers can infuse youth into their aging lineup, especially with Embiid and George nagged by injuries in the recent past.
City of Champions
Maxey’s message may also serve as a reminder to Philadelphia fans, since the Sixers need to win more to stay relevant especially with so much success around them.
Renowned for its what-have-you-done-for-me-lately fan base, Philadelphia is having a moment sports-wise. The Eagles are the reigning Super Bowl champs and have played for the title twice in the past three years — they should be among the favorites to get back to the title game again in 2025 too.
Plus, the Phillies have been to the playoffs three years in a row, won their division in 2024 and went to the World Series in 2022.
So Philadelphia fans are covered with winners through the spring and fall seasons. Both the 76ers and NHL’s Flyers have fallen on hard times, yet each would get a huge boost from the city’s fans if it could generate some buzz.
Plus, the Sixers and Flyers announced a new arena that will replaced the 30-year-old Wells Fargo Center in 2031. Time flies, and even though there still is time for each to return to relevance, each will also want to keep its fan base tuned in ahead of the facility’s opening.