Tyrese Maxey has blossomed into a legitimate superstar in the NBA, as the Philadelphia 76ers' injury woes over the past few years have paved the way for him to take over the reigns as the team's best player. Maxey is doing his best to keep the boat steady for the 76ers, especially with Joel Embiid and Paul George currently out of action, and at this point, it's not his fault that Philly simply could not compete on some nights — including on Tuesday amid a blowout against the San Antonio Spurs.
Be that as it may, Maxey has earned himself millions of fans with the way he's taking on a heavy workload on a nightly basis all while remaining as productive as ever despite facing all the defensive attention in the world. And there may not be a bigger fan of the 76ers star than former 76ers guard and head coach Doug Collins.
“Tyrese Maxey is my favorite player in the NBA. I hope these Philadelphia fans know they have the star of stars. His personality, his performance, the smile, the joy with which he plays the game. I just think it's such a tremendous thing for this city of Philadelphia and he's got a great sidekick now in VJ Edgecombe,” Collins said prior to the 76ers' clash against the Spurs on Tuesday, via NBC Sports Philadelphia.
"Tyrese Maxey is my favorite player in the NBA."
Doug Collins with some high praise for the Sixers' point guard 🙌 pic.twitter.com/WZoT8dASj2
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 4, 2026
76ers are stuck in two timelines
The 76ers worked hard to keep the pick that eventually became VJ Edgecombe, and now, they have a masterful backcourt to build the team around. The problem, however, is that there is so much lingering uncertainty in Embiid's health, and George's drug-related suspension has cast another cloud on the team.
Be that as it may, the 76ers can at least ease into rebuilding around Maxey and Edgecombe if Embiid and George completely flame out eventually.
