Tyrese Maxey absolutely lit up the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. The Philadelphia 76ers star dropped 43 points, shooting 15-26 from the field, to lead his team to a dominant 118-104 victory over the Lakers.
Maxey proved a tough cover for anyone Los Angeles could throw at him. The one-time All-Star was hitting step back jumpers, knocking down triples, and dropping all sorts of tough layups to go. It was a scoring masterclass from the Sixers guard.
While dropping 40+ and leading his team to a much-needed win that aids their push for a Play-In spot must have been a nice moment, the real treasured memory from this night may have come after the on-court action was over for Maxey.
Maxey finally gets a jersey swap with the King
One reporter asked the Sixers guard about the new LeBron James jersey that was hanging in Maxey's locker after the game. The fifth-year pro let everyone at the press conference know just how much that moment and his relationship with James meant to him.
"I told him after the game, I said, 'Look man, I waited five years to ask for a jersey. I know I've known you for a while, but I think I'm gonna get it this year.'Tyrese Maxey
He [James] said, 'Alright cool.'
He's like a big brother to me. [We have the] same agent. I worked out with him a few times every summer. We worked out at 6:00 and I would beat him to the gym a few times. He was like, nah, I can't let that happen. So he started getting to the gym at 5:00. ... He was in a full sweat at 5:30 once I got to the gym.
I was like, 'You got it man, you win. I ain't gonna lie.'
He's a great man, the greatest ever. ... What he's done for our game has been amazing."
This moment with James does not sound like one that Maxey will forget any time soon. For a 24-year-old like him, being a part of the younger generation in the league, many grew up watching James play at the peak of his powers. It should not surprise anyone to see the Sixers guard hold LeBron in such high esteem, especially given the personal connection that Maxey touched upon.