Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey does his grandmother proud

Long before Tyrese Maxey received passes from Joel Embiid and his Philadelphia 76ers teammates, he worked on his jumper at a hoop on his childhood home after receiving passes from his grandmother.

And during a breakthrough season in which the NBA All-Star point guard became the 2024 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year while continuing to help others, he wishes she were still alive to witness his NBA dream coming true.

“She’d be proud of the person I am,” Maxey told Andscape. “I am still trying to help other people and have a smile that lights up a room. I’m not changing that at all.”

Maxey was born on Nov. 4, 2000, in Dallas to Denyse and Tyrone Maxey. Tyrone Maxey played for legendary basketball coach Kelvin Sampson at Washington State. He was youth coach for his son, who began playing basketball at age 5 and dreamed of playing in the NBA.

Another important person who helped him not only dream big about the NBA but grow off the court was his grandmother Mildred “Mimi” Maxey, who moved into the family home in Garland, Texas, when he was an infant.

Maxey’s grandmother was a strong influence since she watched him and his three sisters while their parents were at work. Her daily presence gave the children an example of what it was like to be a caring human being. Mildred Maxey attended church regularly, fed the homeless and was committed to helping the less fortunate.

“I used to tell people all the time, ‘She’s an angel from heaven,’ ” Tyrone Maxey said of his mother. “She was the sweetest lady that you would ever know. She was just a great human being. Goes to church every Sunday. I never heard her say one curse word. She’s always smiling nice and feeding people. She had just a great spirit …

“A God-fearing woman. Never spoke a bad word about anybody. She was just so nice and sweet. [Tyrese] would hang out with her all day long.”

Mildred Maxey found ways to bond with her grandchildren. When Maxey played basketball in front of the house starting at about 6 years old, she would often be outside rebounding for him. And when he needed someone to play video games with, she would take a controller to play. She always offered positive words of encouragement.

“She used to go outside and rebound for me when I would shoot,” Maxey said. “She played video games with me. She was that type of grandmother. She would do anything for me.

“I was always a happy kid. She told me to never lose that joy. She told me that I always lifted up rooms and to never stop doing that. Always be myself. Don’t let anything change me. As long as I did that, she was happy.”

Said Tyrone Maxey: “I bought [Tyrese] a Little Tykes basketball goal. So, he would play with her every day. And then I remember one time I came home from work, he said, ‘Dad, I dunk on Mimi.’ I said, man, ‘You can’t be jumping dunk on your grandmother like that.’ ”

Maxey became a basketball star at South Garland High where he was named a 2019 McDonald’s All American and Texas Mr. Basketball. The NBA certainly looked like a strong possibility after he signed with the University of Kentucky.

Knowing the potential power of an NBA platform, Mildred Maxey told her grandson not to forget those in need when he was in a position to help them.

“The biggest lesson I learned from her was to treat people how you want to be treated,” Maxey said.

Mildred Maxey’s declining health (Tyrone Maxey said she suffered multiple strokes) kept her from attending her grandson’s games with Kentucky during the 2019-2020 season. Typically, the NBA draft is held in late June, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 draft was postponed until Nov. 18, 2020. Mildred Maxey wasn’t able to witness her grandson being drafted. She died Sept. 13, 2020, at the age of 83.

“When she got sick, she would watch Tyrese’s games from home. I was praying that she would stay alive to make it to draft night. But she didn’t make it,” Tyrone Maxey said.

Maxey celebrated his grandmother’s life during the NBA’s virtual draft day, wearing a bracelet that said “Long Live Mimi.” There was also a seat saved in her honor at the roundtable where his family sat at home during the draft. The Sixers selected the shooting guard with the 21st pick in the first round.

With his grandmother and his accomplishment in mind, Maxey was brought to tears while during his interview with ESPN’s NBA reporter Malika Andrews afterward.

“My mom had seats like we were at the draft. But she left a seat open for my grandmother and no one could sit there,” Maxey said.

Following his rookie season, Maxey lived up to his grandmother’s wishes and started the Tyrese Maxey Foundation.

The nonprofit organization primarily serves the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Philadelphia. According to the foundation, it was founded on “faith values and exists in order to strengthen the family and the community through our works, example and investment.” Past events have included a Back to School Block Party with free haircuts, backpacks with school supplies and food in Garland, and a Christmas toy drive in Philadelphia and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Two days after Maxey suffered a left foot fracture Nov. 18, 2022, Maxey and his family passed out Thanksgiving meals to more than 300 families in West Philadelphia. He has also hosted basketball camps in Garland, Philadelphia and Lexington, Kentucky. Maxey also won the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for November 2022.

“She always said I was going to make it. But she also said, ‘Just make sure you give back,’ ” Maxey said of his grandmother. “In my city, there was nobody giving back to my high school and stuff. So, I always tried to go back to my high school to give back, give a camp. I’m always going to be there. Last year, I couldn’t do a camp because I didn’t know if I was going to play for USA [Basketball] or not. So, I made sure I still went back and did a community block party for all the kids where everybody got backpacks. New Balance really helped me out with that.

“And then I do a turkey drive every year in Philadelphia. I do a toy drive in Philly and Dallas. So, there a lot of things that I’ve been trying to put in place. In these upcoming years I’ll be able to do a little bit more.”

Maxey was a solid third scorer offensively for the Sixers last season behind Embiid and James Harden. But on Oct. 30, 2023, Maxey’s role with the Sixers changed dramatically when Harden was dealt to the LA Clippers in a blockbuster trade. Harden averaged 21 points, 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds for the Sixers during the 2022-23 season.

With Harden gone, it was Maxey’s opportunity to fill the No. 2 scoring role behind Embiid. Maxey credits Harden for giving him the tutoring to improve his game and confidence that he could be special.

“What went through my mind when he was traded was, ‘Dang, I got to step up,’ ” Maxey said. “Honestly when all [the trade talk] was going on in the summertime, that’s why I really worked on just my ball handling and being able to create plays for not only myself but others as well just in case he ended up leaving.

“I learned a lot from [Harden] though. I learned a lot about the game. I learned a lot about just manipulating defenses, how to score the ball, how to find my teammates. And I appreciate it, man. Still to this day. Love him.”

The Sixers also loved how Maxey stepped up this season en route to being the second Most Improved Player award winner in franchise history.

“For me, it definitely means a lot,” Maxey said after practice Wednesday. “It’s a testament to the work. I appreciate everyone who has helped me along the way. Trainers. Family members. This organization that has believed in me. When I got drafted, I said that I would work extremely hard and I will make sure it’s not a regret. I really meant those things. I just want to keep building and get better every single day.”

Maxey averaged a career-high 25.9 points, a 5.6-point improvement from last season. He also averaged a career-high 6.2 assists, up 2.7 from last season. The first-time All-Star also made a career-high 212 3-pointers. After never scoring more than 50 points, Maxey had three games of 50 or more points this season. Maxey was also one of just nine NBA players this season to rank within the league’s top 20 in points (11th) and assists (20th) per game.

“Tyrese is a tireless worker who has elevated his game to an All-Star level in a short period of time,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “In my years of coaching against him and our one year together so far, it is clear that he brings a special joy and energy to the game of basketball and his enthusiasm and work ethic will continue to lift his game for years to come.”

Maxey also has become one of the NBA’s more popular players as his No. 0 Sixers jersey was listed as 10th in jersey sales leaguewide on April 19. He ranked higher than such NBA stars as Embiid, Nikola Jokić, Jalen Brunson and Ja Morant. Maxey said he first noticed that fans outside of Philadelphia were wearing his jersey during 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.

“I was at All-Star with all those MVP-caliber guys and there were still people there with my jersey on and just my name,” Maxey said. “I’m like, ‘Wow, this is unbelievable.’ As a kid, I always said I was going to make it to the NBA and do all those things. You don’t just say you’re going to be an All-Star. I have goals written down to do it, but to actually go out there and fulfill the dream, it was amazing.

“It’s been way different. It’s been great though. I have nothing but the ultimate appreciation for the fans and everybody that recognized me. But I just never thought s lot of people in different arenas would wear my jersey and come and support. So, I appreciate them.”

The Sixers are down 0-2 in the best-of-seven series first-round series against the New York Knicks. Maxey is averaging a team-best 34 points and seven assists in the series. The NBA admitted after a 104-101 Game 2 loss in New York on Monday that Maxey was fouled twice in the final seconds before his turnover led to Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo’s go-ahead 3-pointer.

Maxey opted to take the high road and focus on turning the series around.

“We have to use that as fuel to the fire. It is what it is,” Maxey said. “We’re down 2-0. If we dwell on it, we will be down 0-3. But we can’t dwell on it. We know what we are capable of doing. We have to execute the game plan and win two games at home.”

The Sixers plan to honor Maxey before Game 3 against the visiting Knicks on Thursday night with several of his family members in attendance. With each accolade the rising NBA star is achieving this season, combined with his charitable work, he thinks about how proud his grandmother would have been.

“I know she is watching down on me and she would be happy,” Maxey said.