Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James have a close friendship. One that could help the team win early on.
When LeBron made the choice of joining the Philadelphia 76ers, there was plenty of thought that went into it. One of the biggest things that helped sway James was Tyrese Maxey. In fact, James’ relationship with Maxey has extended beyond the court. James detailed their relationship on the Mind the Game Podcast with Steve Nash.
James talked about how Maxey contacted him as soon as he became a free agent and that he tried to encourage James to give the 76ers a look. Maxey has always been a player James respected, and the best thing about Maxey is he never once changed who he was.
“He’s been the same person since I met him, and he came into the NBA," said James. “From the moment he got drafted to the perennial all-star, the superstar that he’s becoming, nothing has changed.”
It’s rare to meet players like this, who stand true to who they are despite becoming a star in the game that they love. Not only did Maxey’s character have an impact on James, but the way he plays the game made the decision that much easier. Maxey is going to be a large part of what this team is trying to accomplish. What makes this even better is that they have some type of relationship, and that’s going to be key for the 76ers.
James has plenty of knowledge about the game that he can give to each player on this team. But before James can do that, he has to make sure that his body can respond in turn. To make something like this be truly effective, he put his body through grueling training practices because he knew he would have to be in tiptop shape to run with Maxey and the rest of the team.
That’s quite possibly the best attribute about Maxey. Not just his scoring ability but his relentless energy. Maxey can be the spark plug for the team, and that is just what James wants from his young star. It’s going to be all about speed with this team. James has said this group is ridiculously quick, and it’s going to be a game of inches.
James is going to be in for a barnburner of a season with the 76ers. So what he wants to do is prepare this team the best he can for what’s to come. He knows that each player has their own reasons for playing this game, and his plan is going to be to show them how to achieve their dreams by being a different type of leader.
James may have joined the 76ers to win a championship, but it was Maxey’s youthful spirit that gave James the belief that he can be the missing link.
