Tyrese Maxey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tyrese Maxey

Maxey with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021
No. 0 – Philadelphia 76ers
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(2000-11-04) November 4, 2000 (age 24) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
High school	South Garland (Garland, Texas)
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
College	Kentucky (2019–2020)
NBA Draft	2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21st overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Pro career	2020–present
League	NBA
Career history
2020–present	Philadelphia 76ers
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Star (2024) NBA Most Improved Player (2024) NBA Sportsmanship Award (2024) Second-team All-SEC (2020) SEC All-Freshman Team (2020) McDonald's All-American (2019) Texas Mr. Basketball (2019)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States FIBA Americas U18 Championship Gold 2018 Canada National team

Tyrese Maxey (born November 4, 2000) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Tyrese was born in Dallas, Texas. He was a shooting guard for South Garland High School. In 2018, he helped his team reach the Texas state high school basketball tournament for the first time ever. He was a top player, known as a five-star recruit, even in his second year of high school. He became a McDonald's All-American and Texas Mr. Basketball in his senior year.

After high school, he played for the Kentucky Wildcats. In his very first college game, he set a school record by scoring 26 points. His freshman season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. After that, he decided to join the 2020 NBA draft. The 76ers picked him 21st overall.

In his first NBA season, Tyrese didn't play much at first. But when other players were out, he got a chance to start. In his fourth season, he won the Most Improved Player Award. He was also chosen for his first All-Star team in 2024. Soon after the playoffs, he also received the NBA Sportsmanship Award.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Tyrese Maxey was born on November 4, 2000, in Dallas, Texas. His parents are Denyse and Tyrone Maxey. His dad, Tyrone, used to play college basketball and later became a coach. Tyrese's favorite player growing up was Dwyane Wade. When Tyrese said he wanted to be like Wade, his dad created special training for him. He studied how NBA players like Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving played to help Tyrese train.

In sixth grade, Tyrese won a national championship with his Amateur Athletic Association (AAU) team. He even broke his pinky finger during a game but kept playing. He only used his other hand to dribble the ball!

At South Garland High School, Tyrese was a shooting guard. In his second year, he scored about 23.5 points per game. He also got 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. The next year, he helped South Garland reach the Texas state basketball tournament for the first time. He scored 46 points in a semifinal game, but his team lost in overtime.

Tyrese thought about leaving high school early to join the NBA. But he decided to stay to try and become a McDonald's All-American. In his senior year, he averaged 21.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He was also named First-Team All-Area and Texas Mr. Basketball. He graduated at the top of his class.

Becoming a Top Recruit

Tyrese was seen as a five-star recruit very early on. By the end of his second year of high school, Rivals.com ranked him as the 14th best high school basketball player in the country. By his senior year, he was ranked 10th by Rivals.com and 247Sports, and 13th by ESPN.

Many college teams wanted him to play for them. These included Michigan State and the University of California, Los Angeles. But in May 2018, before his senior year, he decided to commit to the University of Kentucky. He officially signed with Kentucky in November of that year.

College Basketball Career

Maxey with Kentucky in 2020

Tyrese played his first college game at Madison Square Garden. It was for Kentucky against the Michigan State Spartans. He came off the bench and scored 26 points. This was a new record for a freshman in their first game at Kentucky. Kentucky won the game 69–62.

After that great start, he had a few games where his shooting wasn't as good. But on November 23, he scored 21 points, including four three-pointers. On December 28, he scored 27 points and got seven rebounds in an overtime win. For this, he was named the best freshman player of the week by several groups.

On February 29, 2020, Kentucky won the SEC regular season championship. Tyrese scored 17 points in that game. Kentucky was set to be the top team in the SEC Tournament. However, both the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament were canceled. This happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This ended Tyrese's freshman season early.

Tyrese played in 31 games for Kentucky, starting 28 of them. He averaged 14 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He also led the team in minutes played per game. At the end of the season, he was named to the All-SEC Second Team and the SEC All-Freshman Team. On April 6, 2020, Tyrese decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Career

Philadelphia 76ers (2020–present)

2020–21 Season: Rookie Year

Maxey with the 76ers in 2021

Many thought Tyrese would be picked earlier in the NBA draft. But the Philadelphia 76ers selected him 21st overall. This was one of the first big decisions made by the team's new president, Daryl Morey. Tyrese signed his first contract with the team on December 3, 2020.

His coach, Doc Rivers, said Tyrese would be "one of our main bench guys" for the 2020–21 season. Tyrese played his first NBA game on December 23. He scored six points and had two assists and two rebounds in 11 minutes.

Later, many 76ers players were injured or had to miss games due to COVID-19. This meant the team only had eight players for a game on January 9 against the Denver Nuggets. This allowed Tyrese to make his first NBA start. Even though the 76ers lost, Tyrese played great. He scored 39 points in 44 minutes. This was the most points by any rookie in their first start since 1970. It was also the most points by a 76ers rookie since Allen Iverson in 1997.

In his first season, Tyrese played in 61 regular season games. He started eight of them. He averaged eight points per game. In the 2021 NBA playoffs, he played in eight games but did not start. The Atlanta Hawks beat the 76ers, ending their season.

2021–22 Season: Becoming a Starter

After the playoffs, Tyrese played in the NBA Summer League to get better. At the start of the 2021–22 season, Ben Simmons refused to play for the 76ers. This gave Tyrese a chance to become a starting point guard. He averaged 16.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in his first 51 games. Because of his good play, he was chosen for the 2022 NBA Rising Stars Challenge.

The 76ers then traded for James Harden. This helped Tyrese a lot. With Harden as the point guard, Tyrese could play his natural shooting guard position. This gave him more chances to shoot. He averaged 24.5 points in his first two games after Harden joined. He finished his second season averaging 17.5 points per game. He shot 48.5 percent from the field and 42.7 percent from three-point range.

In the 2022 NBA playoffs, the 76ers played the Toronto Raptors. Tyrese had an amazing game, scoring 38 points in the first game. This was his highest score in a playoff game. He became the youngest 76ers player to score 30 or more points in a playoff game. The 76ers won the series in six games. Tyrese averaged 21.3 points per game.

Next, Philadelphia played the Miami Heat. Tyrese scored 34 points in Game 2, but the 76ers lost. They lost the series in six games. Tyrese was the 76ers' top scorer in that series, averaging 20.2 points per game.

2022–23 Season: Steady Improvement

On October 28, 2022, Tyrese scored a career-high 44 points. He made 15 of 20 shots, including nine three-pointers. The 76ers won 112–90 against the Toronto Raptors. He joined Hal Greer and Allen Iverson as the only 76ers players to score 40 points before turning 23. He also tied the team record for most three-pointers in a game with nine.

Tyrese finished his third season averaging 20.3 points per game. He shot 43.4% from three-point range.

2023–24 Season: All-Star and Most Improved Player

On November 12, 2023, Tyrese scored a new career-high of 50 points. He also had seven rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. The 76ers won 137–126 against the Indiana Pacers. He became only the sixth 76ers player ever to have 50+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a game. He also joined Iverson as the only 76ers players to score 50+ points at age 23 or younger. He dedicated this amazing game to his teammate Kelly Oubre Jr., who had been in an accident. On December 29, Tyrese scored 42 points in a win against the Houston Rockets.

On February 1, 2024, Tyrese was chosen for his first All-Star Game. On the same day, he scored another career-high of 51 points in a win against the Utah Jazz. On April 4, he almost got his first triple double, scoring 37 points and 11 assists. On April 7, Tyrese scored a career-high 52 points in a double-overtime win against the San Antonio Spurs.

Tyrese finished his fourth season averaging 25.9 points and 6.2 assists per game. He was one of only three players that season to have three or more games with 50 points or more.

On April 23, 2024, Tyrese was named the NBA Most Improved Player for the 2023–24 NBA season. On April 30, he scored a playoff career-high 46 points in Game 5 of the playoffs against the New York Knicks. He scored 7 points in the last 25 seconds to tie the game! The 76ers eventually lost the series in six games.

On May 16, Tyrese won the NBA Sportsmanship Award. On July 7, he signed a big 5-year contract with the 76ers.

2024–2025 Season: Injury Ends Season

Tyrese played in 54 games for Philadelphia during the 2024–25 NBA season. He averaged career-highs of 26.3 points and 1.8 steals. He also had 3.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists. On April 9, 2025, Tyrese was ruled out for the rest of the season. This was because of a finger injury on his right hand.

Playing for His Country

While in high school, Tyrese played for the United States men's national under-19 basketball team. They played in the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship in Canada. He averaged 13 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals per game in the early rounds. He hurt his ankle in a game against Puerto Rico. It looked like he wouldn't play again in the tournament.

But after missing two games, Tyrese came back for the gold medal match against Canada. He scored two points in 12 minutes. The United States won the game 113–74 and took home the gold medal!

Career Statistics

Here are Tyrese Maxey's basketball statistics:

NBA

Regular season

Play-in

Playoffs

College

Personal Life

Maxey at a charity event for his foundation

Tyrese is one of four children and has three sisters. His father, Tyrone, was the director of player development for Southern Methodist University for a time. During the NBA season, Tyrese lives in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. His home caught fire on Christmas Eve in 2021, while his family was visiting. Luckily, no one was hurt. The 76ers helped Tyrese and his family find a new place to stay.

Tyrese is good friends with fellow NBA player R. J. Hampton. They have known each other since first grade. They played basketball in the same area but were always opponents, never teammates. He is also part of a group called the "Baggage Claim Boys." This group includes star high school basketball players from the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex who became friends during college recruiting. Other members include Isaac Likekele and Drew Timme.

Outside of basketball, Tyrese loves Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His favorite Marvel movies are Spider-Man: Homecoming and The Avengers. He has even compared himself to the character Spider-Man. Tyrese also has a charitable foundation, the Tyrese Maxey Foundation. It works with Youth Services, Inc., to help prevent kids from missing school in Philadelphia.

See also

In Spanish: Tyrese Maxey para niños