Mavs' Kyrie Irving Shows Appreciation for 76ers' Young Star

Kyrie Irving discussed Tyrese Maxey after Sunday's game between the 76ers and the Mavericks.

Before collecting his first All-Star nod in 2024, Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey already had Kyrie Irving’s attention.

Being that Irving was a direct rival of the Sixers since his time with the Brooklyn Nets, the eight-time All-Star has seen Maxey up close enough times to conclude that he’s one of the young rising stars in the league.

“He’s always in attack mode,” the Dallas Mavericks guard said on Maxey on Sunday. “He’s accomplished so much in a short period of time.”

Maxey didn’t enter the NBA as a player the Sixers would feature right off the bat. After he dropped to the 21st pick in the 2020 NBA Draft following his freshman season at Kentucky, the young guard was a reserve with an inconsistent role.

It’s unclear how his sophomore season would’ve played out with the three-time All-Star Ben Simmons in the mix, but in the absence of the disgruntled guard, Maxey was offered a chance to start. With that opportunity in front of him, Maxey made it difficult for the Sixers to see him as anything but a starter in the NBA.

Aside from the time Doc Rivers decided to tweak Maxey’s role for a short stint during the 2022-2023 NBA season, Maxey has been a full-time starter in Philly for three-straight seasons. Here, in year four, the young guard earned All-Star honors for the first time. For a guard like Irving, a player Maxey once looked up to, he’s appreciative of the Sixers star’s respect and everything he brings to the game.

“Being in the Eastern Conference going against him three, four times, I got a good feel of him,” Irving told reporters. “Just his talent — I got a good feel of his talent — and how much he wants to get better. I’m appreciative of guys like Tyrese looking up to me. It means the wisdom is carrying on and the next generation is carrying on and I’m excited to see the future for a good young brother of mine.”

Despite an injury-scare on Sunday, Maxey managed to finish the matchup against the Mavericks healthy, and scored 24 points in the 120-116 win in Dallas. At this point, 55 games in, Maxey is averaging career-highs in scoring and assists with 26 points and six assists per game.