I'm tii's MEXI and you're listening to the seventy six Ers Insider's podcast. This podcast is part of the seventy six Ers podcast network, presented by Stern and Cohen Law.
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We have grit and fight in us. Call the workers Compensation law firm of Stern and Cohen or visit their site Sterncohenlaw dot com. The consultation is free. Stern and Cohen are the official partners of the seventy six Ers. They'll go ring the insurance company's bell here with Tyres Maxie. How does it feel to be in this moment? And congratulations?
Thank you it was great, I mean blessed by the best. I can't do anything but thank God and thanks the organization for taking the chance on me, and now I'm here and it's like my sake at home. So I'm very appreciative and very thankful.
Back at the draft in twenty twenty, you promised that the organization wouldn't regret it wouldn't regret the pick twenty one. What were you feeling that night?
Yeah, I keep saying the same things over and over like that was that was genuine emotion, genuine appreciation because as someone who felt like they should have would hire, you know, to fall to the Sixers of fal To, organization that has a championship aspiration, it meant the world to me that they took me, and they took a chance on me and was able to, you know, kind of help me develop into the player that I am today.
So I'm very thankful and I will always go out there and repete Mike extremely hard as that I possibly can, every single night to help us win games.
Everything the organization did with the Maxi Museum, Joel Embiid was part of it.
He was there.
He called you the best teammate that he's ever had. What did that mean to you? And why is it such a good partnership.
Yeah, I think it's a great partnership one because like we both know each other well honestly now, especially now, And it started when I first got here. I mean, he was a believer in me. He believed in my abilities. He also just believed in like a friendship. Like he trusted me and being his friend. And he didn't talk as much when you when I first got here. Now
he's assumed me vocal. Now he's talking to everybody. Now he's you know, being more of a I think, a vocal leader and a frenchise leader that we need him to be so. And I'm very much appreciative him just being the leader and then him taking him taking myself under his wing, you know what I mean. Like he's been a great vet, great person to look up to, very stressful on the basketball court, very stressful and human being as well. So you know, kudos to Joel shot at him.
Doctor j was part of that celebration of you. Don Staley coach Don Staley was part of it. In your four years here, What have you learned about the city of Philadelphia.
Yeah, you know, it's a remarkable city. I mean, honestly, I didn't know any like a lot about it growing up because you know, Dallas, Philly or whatever. But now that I'm actually living here, now, I'm actually like being a part of the city. I have nothing but the almost respect for it. Especially the people that live in the city. They work extremely hard for what they have and they kind of just the kind of push me
that same category. Honestly, you know, I have to work extremely hard for where I am today, and that's where that connection comes in there, So I understand where they're coming from. When they, you know, comes to games, they want us to come out there and put the you know, almost effort that we have and go out there and can be extremely hard, and as long as we do that, they're pretty happy.
You're sharing a press conference day with Paul George. You have the podcast P sweatshirt on. What are some of the things that excite you about playing alongside him?
Yeah, I mean, I just want to think he's a good guy, good person. I mean, yeah, the podcast P shirt. That was pretty cool. You know, he gave me, gave me a Swiss shirt. So you know, of course, you rip your teammates, you know what I mean. Whenever my teammates give me something, I always try to rip them. But other than that, just basketball wise, I feel like he brings a lot of different things that we haven't had,
you know here in the sixths i've been here. You know, a wing score, somebody who's very versatile, who can shoot the ball, you know, off the dribble, off to catch guard, different positions, create shots on his own.
I mean, the list goes on on and on.
I think it's just a good fit, you know, with Joel and b as well, So anybody that fits playing with him.
Is a great fit.
And maybe play some golf together soon, is that?
Yeah?
Cards, Yes, we.
Will try to play some golf together soon.
You know, it's a lot going on right now for the both of us, but I think we'll get in there soon.
Reflecting quickly back on the season you just had, not only was it your first All Star season, but you also I haven't had the chance to ask you about winning Most Improved and the Sportsmanship Award. What did it mean to you to win each of those respectively, Well, earn the All Star bid, but also win those two other awards, And were those ever goals that you set out to achieve?
Right?
I think it was extremely important for me to win the Sportsmanship Award just because, like I was talking about how my grandmother, like before she passed away, her biggest thing was like, listen, this also goes and giving back as well.
Because I want award.
I think in November or December of you know, the year before last, season before last. But she's always on me about just like giving back and being a great person.
Like she's like, you're gonna be good at basketball.
You gonna be really good at basketball, but don't let that change who you are as a person. Don't let that, you know, make you not treat people or ready you want to be treated that.
She was always big on that.
So for me to win the sportsmanship where I'm the ultimate competitor, I hate losing. I really don't like losing at all, and I love winning. But I always respect my opponents, man Like I always you know, try to say hello to them after the game and you know, make sure they're straight, especially like former teammates of course,
So that's number one and number two. Win and most improved has been a goal of mine since after my rookie year because I think my biggest step out of this league and like what people know me for is getting one percent better and find the ways every single year to come in and have something new added to my game.
And because of that, you.
Know, I'm so thankful for winning most of pre awarder because it's what I stand by, literally, what I stand by working hard every single day, day and day in and night in. So it's been great. So I can't I can't complain a boy it at all.
Some of those improvements last summer where things like playmaking and I know you said high pick and roll decision making. Can you yet reveal what some things that you're working on this offseason or do we have to wait and see.
I think we just have to wait and see, honestly, I mean, I think I have a lot of different things that I want to work on. For me, I'm very open and to getting better and like working on actually working on my weaknesses because I feel like it's one it's fun. It's fun to work on something that you're not good, especially being a high level basketball player. You're so like a lot of us are so good
at a lot of different things. When we're not good at something, it's a challenge for us, especially for myself, and to try to get better every single day. So that's those things that I've been working on and you know, just my mind as well.
My mind.
I know I'm going to have to go out here and help to lead this team as well. So those are some things that I've been working on, just vocally being able to coach a guy act do things. So I have, like, you know, one of my best friends working out with me, and I think it's really good for me because I mean he's not skilled, why he's not on the same level. So I can kind of teach him some things, you know what I'm saying, to talk him through some things. I think I'm gonna have
to do that. Another skill of that I'm really working on. So him being there, him being able to help me, like just like kind of learn that skill and kind of find two that skill.
It's been great.
I'm gonna end by barring from one of my favorite podcasters, what's something that you were thankful for in this past week or these past few weeks.
I've heard that before a few times.
I think what I can say that I've been thankful for is my support system. And when I say that, I don't say it mean just my family, because my family's been there since day one, but my best friends, my agency, you know, those guys, like that little support group has been has been big for me. Man Like, they have done a lot for me. They have made
me feel very special. They have made me you know, I'm a guy where I don't really like celebrating my own stuff, Like that's not something that I like to do. But they maybe take time and actually celebrate some things and they put some stuff together. I don't like surprise, but they put some stuff together for me. That's been great.
So I'm very appreciative of them, man Like. They've they showed a lot of love and they do a lot of sacrifice sacrifices for me, so I can't complain, though I appreciate them.
So, you know, the last one with something that you want to get one percent better at in the next week or so.
Right right, I think the biggest thing that I want to get one percent better at is I started reading like the Game of Thrones series books. So I need to get consistent more consistently reading those books because like I'm just a big Game of Thrones fan, you know what I mean. So it's like I don't want to know everything I can about Game of Thrones, house to Dragons, all those different things and all the tar games, all
those different things. So I think that's one thing I can say I get one percent better at all.
Right, we'll let you get to it. Tyrese Maxley, thanks so much, appreciate that