Kevin Durant Gives Tyrese Maxey of the 76ers Major Recognition

Kevin Durant expressed his gratitude to the 76ers star.

But the former second-overall pick in 2007 realizes that a new generation of basketball players is taking over as the game’s star, following in the footsteps of superstars like Durant, James, and Stephen Curry of Golden State.

Durant listed a few players, including Philly’s rising star, when asked to identify the league’s future face when the surefire Hall of Famers hung up their jerseys.

There are several people there, but Durant pointed out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Book (Devin Booker), Luka Doncic, Tyrese Maxey, and Tyrese Haliburton. You can’t just throw the finger at one or two men to motivate the following generation of hoopers to become basketball players since there are so many of them. These guys are leading the way in this regard, pushing the game’s boundaries and changing the norm for how we should play.

The majority of the names Durant brought up already have numerous All-Star selections under their belts. Maxey, however, was playing in his first-ever major league game and was lucky enough to be the only first-time All-Star to have Durant leave out of his lineup.

That’s hardly shocking, as thrilling as that could be for the Sixers. Despite appearing to be a developmental pick in 2020 upon entering the draft following just one season at Kentucky, Maxey has advanced quickly throughout his first four years in the league.

In his rookie season, he averaged eight points and two assists while shooting thirty percent from three. This year, he’s upped his game to 26 points and six assists while shooting forty percent from beyond the arc for his career.

The Sixers anticipate that Maxey’s participation in Sunday’s All-Star game will be a regular occurrence, despite his young age of 23. With Maxey selected at No. 21 in 2020, the Sixers believe he will be a valuable member of the team for a long time. The league as a whole should come to understand it as well thanks to Durant’s co-sign.