There are a few things you should know about Tyrese Maxey:
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He loves to win.
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He loves to work.
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He loves to smile.
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He’s pumped to be a 76er.
The 21st overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is ready to hit the ground running. Lucky for him, there’s not much time to waste.
Listen to Maxey talk, and his enthusiasm - for the game, for his future, for life - shines through immediately.
The morning after getting drafted, he had one thing on his mind.
“My first question is: Do we have 24 hour access [to the facility]?"
Not only does Maxey like out to work out a lot, he likes to workout early - 6:00 am early.
These sunrise workouts aren’t anything new. Maxey says he’s always been this way. From his standout season at the University of Kentucky, to his pre-draft preparation in Los Angeles this summer, he’s been an early bird.
“I wanted to be the first one in the gym,” Maxey remembers telling his trainer, Chris Johnson, during his summer sessions.
In those California workouts, Maxey crossed paths with a few of the league’s finest - LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, and one of his newest teammates, Ben Simmons.
Like Maxey, the four-time All-Star Rondo fancies early-morning work.
“I was only with [Rondo] for three or four weeks, but it was every day, and I feel like I learned something new every single day,” Maxey said. “It’s a great feeling, and I really appreciate him for that.”
He was also learning from Simmons.
“I admire [Ben’s] creativity and his work ethic. Every time I saw him, he was putting work in in the gym. That’s something that someone of his caliber - you can tell the work he’s put in.
Maxey says he and his All-Star teammate share that mentality.
“I’m the same way, I feel like I’m a gym rat.”
It’s his competitive nature that fuels his ardent work ethic.
“First and foremost, I’m a competitor,” Maxey said. “I feel like that’s a skill - winning is a skill. It’s an attribute to have in your game. If it’s cards, dominoes, it doesn’t matter… If it has a winner in it, I want to win.”
Known for his versatile, two-way presence, Maxey aims to expand his game every day. That desire to improve proved key during his college season.
Maxey spent most of his early years playing point guard, but when he joined the Kentucky Wildcat squad, he remembers Coach John Calipari challenging him to become more of a threat off the ball.
If he could do that, he would earn minutes.
“He needed me to defend. He needed me to play off-ball. And that’s what I did.”
Maxey says that change was pivotal, and expects it to be key in his development as a pro.
“I really appreciate [Coach Calipari for challenging me]. “Because now, I feel like I fit into the role of the hybrid guards in the new-age NBA.”
Maxey's on-court priorities also align well with his new team's goals - particularly on the defensive end.
“I enjoy playing defense, I enjoy stopping people, I enjoy smothering different guys, and making guys feel uncomfortable.”
Even though he’s accomplished his dream of getting drafted, Maxey knows the real work has just begun. In the days following the draft, the workouts at dawn continued.
He respects the game too much to slow down.
“I want to get 1% better every single day. At the end of the day, when the ball stops bouncing, I want to be able to say I put my all into it. I don’t want any what-ifs. That’s not how I roll.”
Once he gives it his all, he leaves the gym with a smile.
“I enjoy life,” Maxey said. “I’m very blessed.”
And while his knowledge of his new city is limited to online research and the Rocky franchise, his mentality is an apt match for the City of Brotherly Love:
“I compete. I think that’s what the Philadelphia fans are going to see from day one.”