One-on-One with Tyrese Maxey

the goal, Matt at this point. People. A lot of people will have seen the teaser trailer with the starting lineup introduction, and Maxie did a great job of doing the echo for his own last name. He's extremely animated, which we know on the court, but it's been such a treat to see him get into his element, his many elements sort of off the court. And he's told us that he wants to hope fully one day be an announcer or do something in the sort of coverage world,

and he's certainly well on his way. So he's a podcaster. Now, he's a podcaster. You had the chance to do this interview with him, and you tried to ask him questions that he has yet to be asked in his young MBA career. I think you came close to succeeding on that front. I challenged him. I said, and I've said this with all the guys that it came on to this edition of our of our podcast series, and I said, Hey, if you've answered any of these questions before, please say

next question. Tyrese didn't next question me a single time, but then after the interview he did say that he had been asked them before. So now that I've discredited the interview itself, I really hope you guys enjoy it. Here's Tyrese Maxie guard out of Garland, Sexish from the University of Kentucky. You're standing six three, number zero Tis

MAXIXXIX Tyrese Maxie, welcome back. Start here. When you retire from the NBA, what do you hope that people say about what you were like as a player When I retire, I hope people would say that Tyrese was somebody who outworked a lot of people, whom you know, earned everything that he got, all the accolades that he got in the league. There was nothing given to him and that he's somehow got one percent better literally every single day and found ways to reach the maximum level of its potential.

I think players today, probably because of social media, are very aware of what their public personas are. What is something that the public gets right about Tyrese and what is something that the public gets wrong about Tyrese. I think something that that everybody gets right is that I really enjoy playing basketball, Like this is like something that I don't I can't fake it, Like I'm always smiling, I'm always having the best time in my life when

I'm out there. Um, I think the only thing that that that they don't know it's probably that I'm a human being. So everybody struggles. Everybody you know, goes through their moments, whether it's behind closed doors, whether it's on the court, whether it's you know, when they're just talking to their parents and or what not. But for the most part, and I'm this is real who I am. I don't smile because it's fake. I smile because I really enjoy being out there. I really enjoy competing. I

really enjoy playing at the highest level. So that's that's fun to me. What have you learned this year about

your ability to push through struggle or to overcome struggle. Yeah, you know, I'm actually really proud of myself, and I'm proud of, you know, my parents for what they've kind of installed me since day one, because if it wasn't from without them, I don't know how I would be able to push through certain things like getting hurt, you know, coming out the bench, starting, you know, whatever the situation is. I feel like I've been able to kind of persevere

and kind of help this team win games. Reflecting on your life now as a whole, beyond just this season or the last three years, if you ever particularly memorable for in the road, a school, you didn't go to, a job, you didn't pursue, anything that you chose not to do that was particularly impactful, or maybe that you wish you had explored. I don't think so. I think everything kind of happened and worked out for a reason. I feel like I got to go to the University

of Kentucky. I didn't leave early. I didn't leave early like Coach cow Was asked me if I wanted to leave because I had enough credits and stuff to graduate high school early. But I didn't leave because I wanted to be a mcdonal's all American. I wanted to go through that process, so I was able to do that. I wanted to graduate and go to Problem with my with my homies, so that was cool. I got to do that. Um So, I mean, the only thing I would say is I didn't get to play in the tournament.

I didn't get to play in the tournament. I was like really looking forward to doing that. And I ran all those fifteens for Coach Cow and ran out there on the track and did all the stuff that you do go through in college. And I didn't get to play in the tournament. You know, it kind of sucked, but the experiences was great also. To be fair, wasn't your voice? No, I wasn't. Um Okay, here's another one for you, Terry's what's the most regular thing about you?

I think I can give you two things that I say. The most regular thing about me is one is I love my dog. I think that's a very very natural thing. Like I really do love my dog, Like, um, I miss him right now, Like it's it's it's crazy that every time I get home, I just love to see his tail wagging, him being so happy. And jumping, jumping

all over me. That that excites me that end. I will sit on my couch, like on an off day when I don't like when I really have no nothing to do, like on a black out day, I will sit on my couch the entire day. Um, I think the snacks that I eat are a little bit different and not as normal, like what like, uh, granola stuff that the chef makes like little yoga parfase, healthy yoga parfase, healthy smoothies. So I still I'm still eating snacks on the couch, but like they're just a little bit a

little bit different. But that's like probably the most normal thing I would do if you had to pick one. What's the most important relationship that you have in your life? Uh, you know the relationship that I have with God. In the relationship that I have my parents, my family, It's like it's second to none. Like I can lean on my family for anything. I know I could pray to God to anything. If I can definitely lean on my

family for anything. They'll always be the for me. I no matter what the situation is, They'll always be supportive of me. And I know I know they always have my back. Understanding that you have that pride in both of those relationships. God, this one is a little bit tough. I'm thinking about how I'm going to ask it, But if you prefer to just answer it for your family,

that's fine. How do you nurture that relationship? How do you give back to that relationship so that you know your parents are getting what they need from Tyres or that God is getting what he needs from Tyres, from from the Lord. I just I mean, I pray. I pray every day, and then I also try to find different ways to understand know the Bible, understand the religion.

If that's talking to my grandmother, if that's reading myself, that's looking up different things on you know, the Internet nowadays, because that's like one of the main sources of information. And then my family, Um, you know, I just go out there. One thing I do is the name in front of my chest is the most important when you're out there playing, But at the end of the day, you know the name when the back is important too. So I go out there and I try to put

off of them as much as I possibly can. Every single every single time I step on the floor, and I feel like I'm a resemblance of them. So if I'm putting on, then I'm showing everybody. Would I fail? The dynamic is all about we know that you're a great basketball player. What's something people don't know that you're great at. I think I'm great at mimicking people like mimicking, Like like the time you mimic to me doing an interview,

I don't think it was that good of a mimic. Well, I mean, everybody's in tied it to their own opinions, but I think a lot of people say I'm good at mem people like if I like mimicking, I don't know Joel mimicking. Like sometimes I turned off the game, like when I wasn't playing, and I'm not mimicking her, I was like trying to be like just like her, like be like missus k Scott or missus ky Scott.

So it's like, you know, I would do that when I when I wasn't playing, I was cool, yeah, and then but I was on the road, so I would just like like turn mute her and then like be her and like try to like kind of even be in her voice or being all his voice. It's kind of cool. Did anything surprise you about like how challenging that job is. Yeah, I think because I like to talk. I would really love to talk. But you really have to talk throughout the whole forty eight minute game, and

you have to be enthusiastic. You have to be able to, You have to be able to because they're team reporters. So but they still have to be able to, like I do I explain it, they still have to be kind of excited for the other team as well. Up that makes sense to put you guys in a positive light without betraying the integrity of the job in the game exactly. So they have like they have a harder job than like the actual ESPN and the TNC and the ABC broadcast is because the ABC, you know that

they're just they're they're neutral. You know, they're just out there calling a game. But when you're when you're Sixer commentators or you're whatever the team is commentators, you're of course you're going for the sixers because that's your job. But like you still have to be able to do both and that's pretty cool. Well, and they have to do it eighty two times. They don't just parachute in and tell one story about Tyrese. They have to have

something new to say about you every night. That's cool that you appreciate that. I'm excited to play this form. Speaking of watching games, what's the most memorable sporting event that you didn't play in, not a game, not a basketball game that you've been to as a spectator or watched on TV. This summer or last summer. In August, I went to watch the first round of Serena's at the US Open. That was That's my first time at

a tennis match ever in my life. And for it to be so inspirational that I come home and I start playing tennis and actually sitting on my couch at two am watching um, like the finals, like the final four women's and men's of tennis. That's like second to none, Like I can't like, that's like amazing, like that it can change somebody's persona like that, Like I have never watched a tennis match ever in my life. I watched one, go to hers, watch one first round of the US Open,

and now I'm watching tennis. I'm going to play tennis on off days with Chake, Milton, Tyler, Lashbrook, Spencer Rivers. So it's like that's really cool. Last question, My timing is impeccable. You do this a lot. You've answered a lot of questions. Do you have any questions for me? I have ze real questions. No questions today, um, no no questions for me today. My only question is what time is it? Love? Y'all gotta go by. Thank you, Tyrese.

Always a pleasure to sit down with Tyrese Maxie, get to know them a little bit better off the court. But on the court, Matt, it's almost become disrespectful to continue asking if Tyrese Maxie is going to continue getting better, whether or not he'll make the leap after a great rookie year, after a great sophomore season, coming back from

injury this year, going to the bench, coming back. This is someone who has continued to rise to the occasion with every challenge that's been thrown at him over the three years that he's been a sixer, and it's been nothing short of a privilege to watch doing it all with a smile on his face most of the time,

if not all of the time. I mean, this is a forty one percent three point shooter for his career so far, fifty one percent this March and if you want to get hot at a good time of the NBA season, right before the playoffs is a pretty good time to do that. And we've seen him. It feels like Tyrese Maxie has played like ten years already in the NBA. With the amount of things he's been through. You just kind of laid out the course of this season alone, but in past seasons he has stepped up

and proven to be a playoff performer. We just happened to be talking before another game against the Raptors, but in the playoffs against the Raptors, he went off in Philadelphia. The crowd already loves him, but in those moments when he's a great guard, but he's knocking down threes at a rate that not many people expected when he was coming out of college. And if he had done that in college, he wouldn't have fallen to where he fell

in the draft. And he's making a ton of shots as a professional, and it is a it's a privilege to watch. He is a great person to cover on and off the court and always has a smile on his face. Everything happens for a reason, and Tyree's talked about it on his podcast, So I'll shout out Maxie.

On the mic with iHeartRadio, he talked about the fact that he thinks had he shot better in college, or had he had the opportunity to play in a March madness, which of course is at its peak right now, he feels that he might have gotten drafted sooner, probably would have, but that he's glad he didn't because he's so happy he ended up in Philadelphia, And I think everybody here can wholeheartedly agree with that thought. It's kind of tough to even criticize the shooting from college because A they

already play way fewer games. B there was a pandemic going on that affected things. See, it was Kentucky where there's a bunch of other prospects, so it's not like he had a ton of volume or multiple seasons of like a poor shooting record or something. It's just it's still shocking to see how much better he's been. Yeah,

you mentioned his great cumulative shooting stats this season. I wanted to quickly highlight one more shooting nearly forty seven percent from three this season on the road, which is an extremely impressive feat from such a young player. To show such poise in every building. We talked about it

ahead of one of the Sixers recent games. I had a one on one with Tyrese and he said that he loves the sound of silence in the crowd after he makes on the road kind of dark, but also shows he's got a little bit of a killer instinct in him and it's only growing. He's only growing and always just a pleasure, nothing but a pleasure to hear from Tyrese. Well, that type of mentality certainly bodes well

for playoff performances of the future for Tyrese. Maxie and I wonder if the road shooting splits have anything to do with the white sweatsuit that he warms up with before away games, the white six or sweatshirt, the white six or sweatpants we've noticed has been his road wardrobe this season and Navy on Navy at home. So if it's not broke and he says there's nothing to it, he says there's nothing to it. Something we do know

Tyrese is great at his playoff performances. You think back to his rookie season when he wasn't even really in a consistent spot in the rotation throughout the regular season. Stepping up and winning playoff games for his team as a rookie, doing the same last season availability sort of independent of other players availability, Tyrese has found a way to make his presence known and to step up big in big moments. We certainly hope that he'll do the

same in the playoffs to come. He mentioned on his podcast that that year, his rookie year, like mid season, there was the possibility of playing in the G League. I think if it was a normal season and games were happening in Delaware and things like that, that very well could have happened. And then in the playoffs he won a game like things happen fast in the NBA. And he's a perfect example of how you can respond

to that. And we talked on the last episode with guys that went through the G League Shake Milton, Paul Reid. Go back and listen to that one. If you're jumping into this series with Tyrese seventy six Ers Insiders. I hope you guys enjoyed hearing from Tyreese. I know we always do, and we will talk to you next time here on the seventy Sixers Insiders podcast.