JOINS DANA BARROS (1994-95) AS ONLY 76ERS PLAYERS TO EARN AWARD
AVERAGED CAREER HIGHS IN POINTS, REBOUNDS, ASSISTS, AND STEALS IN FOURTH NBA SEASON
PHILADELPHIA – APRIL 23, 2024 – The NBA announced today that first-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey has been named the 2023-24 Kia NBA Most Improved Player. Maxey becomes the second player in franchise history to earn the honor, joining Dana Barros in 1994-95.
“Congratulations, Tyrese! The Most Improved Player award is a testament to your incredible work ethic including countless early mornings in the gym perfecting your craft,” Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey said. “Your journey to All-Star in just your fourth season is inspirational to everyone who watches you play. Your dedication to continuous improvement and excellence has you on the path from MIP to MVP.”
In his fourth NBA season, Maxey’s statistical leap included becoming a top-11 scorer in the NBA as his average jumped from 20.3 in 2022-23 to 25.9 in 2023-24. Maxey also boosted his rebounding average to 3.7, assists to 6.2, and steals to 1.0, with each mark representing a career high.
“Tyrese is a tireless worker who has elevated his game to an All-Star level in a short period of time. In my years of coaching against him and our one year together so far, it is clear that he brings a special joy and energy to the game of basketball and his enthusiasm and work ethic will continue to lift his game for years to come,” said Philadelphia 76ers Head Coach Nick Nurse.
Maxey averaged just 1.7 turnovers this season, joining Dallas’ Kyrie Irving (also 2023-24) as the only two players in league history to average at least 25.0 points and 5.0 assists with fewer than 2.0 turnovers for a full campaign.
He was one of just nine NBA players this season to rank within the league’s top-20 in both points (11th) and assists (20th). Maxey joined Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Phoenix’s Devin Booker, New York’s Jalen Brunson, Dallas’ Luka Dončić, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Lakers’ LeBron James, and Denver’s Nikola Jokić as the only players to do so this past season.
Maxey’s increase of 5.6 PPG from last season is the largest by any player who also averaged 20-plus in 2022-23. This scoring average jump makes him one of seven players aged 23-or-younger to raise their average by at least 5.0 points since the NBA-ABA merger after averaging at least 20.0 the season prior.
Maxey’s three 50-point outings were tied for the most in the NBA lead this season, and were punctuated by a career-high 52-point performance on April 7 at San Antonio.
In 70 games, Maxey recorded 22 games of at least 30 points this season after combining for 14 across his first three NBA campaigns (196 total games).