The way the Sixers’ practice facility in Camden is designed, the media only gets to interact with players on the practice floor — by design, of course.
The players have their own parking lot (with a roof for their super nice cars) and entrance on the far end of the building. The media members park amongst the regular people outside the facility gates and our exit is on the opposite end of the building.
So, you could imagine my surprise when I encountered Tyrese Maxey walking out in the same direction
I was.
“You lost?” I asked.
“Nah, I’m getting on LeBron’s helicopter,” Maxey said with a laugh.
He proceeded to walk out of the gated space, awaiting a ride. As I drove away, there was Maxey, an All-NBA performer on a max contract, sitting on the curb, waiting for a ride.
It was quite the dichotomy after seeing James take off from managing partner Josh Harris’ helipad atop the franchise’s business building.
“One of us left on the helicopter,” Maxey said, “the other one sitting on the curb.”
Helicopter or not, James has acknowledged not every organization and player can handle what comes with rostering arguably the greatest player of all time. We’ve already gotten small tastes of it, with a recent notable example over the whole rumored (and debunked) LeBron-Joel Embiid situation.
There’s attention. There’s scrutiny. It can absolutely become a circus.
But there might not be a better player built for the current situation than Maxey.
Think about all Maxey has been through since he was drafted in 2020. He missed the bulk of training camp that year because he got COVID. He had a weird rookie season. He was too good for Doc Rivers to leave on the bench, but the Hall of Fame coach’s reticence to play young players led to Maxey getting inconsistent minutes. He was also in trade rumors for James Harden and Kyle Lowry, both of whom would eventually become his teammates.
He saw Ben Simmons hold out and his role increase with the ball in his hands more. He was here for the Harden trade and moved back into an off-ball role. And remember the next year when Rivers told everyone it was Maxey’s idea to come off the bench after returning from injury? Hilarious. Harden’s ensuing holdout vaulted Maxey to second in the pecking order, leading to his first All-Star appearance and the league’s Most Improved Player Award.
With Tobias Harris and his exorbitant contract gone, Maxey was able to welcome Paul George aboard — and we all remember how 2024-25 went. It was a nightmare for Maxey, Joel Embiid, the Sixers and the entire Delaware Valley. He grew from it and had an outstanding 2025-26 campaign, culminating in his first All-NBA nod.
This offseason he became a dad, without question the most important thing to happen to him, but the second-most important thing was nothing to sneeze at. Maxey successfully recruited James to join the Sixers to play alongside newcomer Jaylen Brown and a ridiculously star-studded starting five.
James hasn’t stopped heaping praise on Maxey since he got here. Brown, too, has lauded Maxey for making a difficult transition much easier by welcoming him with open arms. Labaron Philon Jr. has frequently mentioned how much Maxey is helping the rookie’s assimilation to the NBA.
Mike Gansey did a hell of a job assembling this roster, but Maxey’s fingerprints are all over it. It’s not hyperbolic to say Maxey has changed the entire trajectory of this organization. Imagine if he hadn’t become the player he is after being selected 21st overall. The Sixers would’ve likely been stuck in NBA purgatory. And if not for the positive culture he’s created in the locker room, this franchise could’ve gone sideways at multiple points over the last seven years.
James has acknowledged it’s not always easy being his teammate. Not because of anything on the court, but with the scrutiny and attention that comes with a team he’s on.
If any player can manage it, it’s Maxey.
He was asked on media day what it’s like to be in this position, where he’s been LeBron James’ workout partner and now teammate.
“What if I said LeBron was my workout partner?” he joked.
Maxey was asked about the extra attention LeBron brings.
“I wanted Bron, I didn’t want y’all,” he joked again.
Then, he got serious.
“Listen, with me, I’m focused on basketball, a job,” he said. “The rest of that, I’m not really worried about it. That doesn’t really bother me, honestly. I’ve been blessed to play in Philadelphia for my entire career so far. I played in Kentucky. I’m kind of used to the noise and all those different things, so that doesn’t bother me.
“My biggest thing is I want to help my teammates, this organization, try to win basketball games and try to win at the highest level. So the rest of that, the hoopla, all that, all y’all people being here, that doesn’t bother me.”
Holdouts, drama, injuries, mismanaged rosters, coaching malpractice, losing, media scrutiny, a fan base that expects nothing short of greatness — Maxey has handled it all.
LeBron’s helicopter flying overhead while he sits on a curb is worth nothing more than a chuckle.
“I ain’t gonna lie,” he said, “that was funny.“
