Tyrese Maxey addressed the media at the Philadelphia 76ers‘ practice facility in Camden for the first time since signed his five-year, $204 million contract extension earlier this summer. Maxey answered a lot of questions about what it took to get to this moment, but when asked about what advice he received this summer, he mentioned a quote from his agent, Rich Paul.
Maxey said that Paul told him to have “patience and poise” regarding his potential new deal. The Sixers’ budding star was among the final offseason pieces Philadelphia needed to make some of its major moves.
Having patience
With Maxey waiting to sign his extension, his low cap hold allowed the team to make big moves, including signing Paul George to be the third star in Philadelphia. It also allowed them to have room to sign Caleb Martin and Andre Drummond and to resign Kelly Oubre Jr. Most rookies sign their contract extensions in the summer of their fourth year, but he trusted the Sixers to do right by him because he sacrificed and waited.
When asked what was going through his mind over the last few weeks after waiting on his deal and letting the offseason play out:
“It worked out well…you know it’s a very hard thing to do, especially when you’re working super hard, you work tirelessly and whatever and trying to get just a contract. When it was brought up, I understood you got to be professional.”
It’s rare for younger players to not only see but embrace the full picture of the plan and be willing to wait patiently to see it play out.
Being poised
Throughout the season, Maxey stayed poised even when players normally in position are paid by the team their fifth year starts. He never complained publicly and focused on improving and helping his team get wins. He took a leap offensively this year, which helped catapult him to his first all-star appearance. He took being a leader on and off the court more seriously, getting guys in the right spot on the court and being a go-to guy for the younger players on the team.
When Joel Embiid went down with a knee injury, he took on the role of the best player for the Sixers, helping him develop and grow even more. He saw different defensive coverages every night that were designed to stop him from being a threat offensively. Although they fell into the play-in tournament, eventually locking down the 7th seed, he helped keep the team afloat while the big fella was out.
Having the mindset to be patient and poised was rewarded by the Sixers’ committing to having Maxey for much of his future and, more than likely, his career. He was celebrated with the Maxey Museum, and it solidified what is sure to be a career-long partnership.
“I really trust them because they took a chance on me honestly…I was very thankful for that opportunity they gave me to come here and play for a championship-caliber team.”
