Tyrese Maxey’s emergence this season was a pleasant surprise. After the James Harden fiasco, he was seen as a temporary fix to fill in as the primary point guard until Daryl Morey and the front office found a more permanent solution. But no one was expecting this meteoric rise. This season, with increased responsibility in the wake of Joel Embiid’s injuries, Maxey produced an All-Star season, averaging career highs in points per game (25.9), assists (6.2), and steals (1.0). His efforts were duly recognized by the league as he was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player on Tuesday. And now that he has made it, he wishes nothing more than for his grandmother to be here to witness it.
Tyrese Maxey’s grandmother, Mildred “Mimi” Maxey, instilled in him the belief that no dream was too big and no goal too lofty. When a 6-year-old Maxey started playing basketball in front of the house, she would often be outside rebounding for him. Sadly, Mimi was not there to witness her grandson’s rise to NBA stardom. After battling multiple strokes, she passed away on September 13, 2020, at the age of 83, two months before the 2020 NBA Draft.
“When she got sick, she would watch Tyrese’s games from home. I was praying that she would stay alive to make it to draft night. But she didn’t make it,” lamented Tyrese’s father. However, Maxey honored his grandmother during the NBA’s virtual draft day, wearing a bracelet that said “Long Live Mimi.” The family also saved her a seat at the roundtable they sat at during the draft. “My mom had seats like we were at the draft. But she left a seat open for my grandmother and no one could sit there,” the 76ers guard said after the team selected him with the 21st pick in the first round.
This is a developing story…