Tyrese Maxey says James Harden gave him one piece of advice that helped shape his development with the Philadelphia 76ers: remain himself and never lose his aggressiveness.
Maxey was still establishing himself in the NBA when Harden arrived in Philadelphia in February 2022. Rather than pushing the young guard into a reduced role, Harden encouraged Maxey to continue playing aggressively.
“The best advice I got from James (Harden) is probably be myself, don’t let anybody come in and make it to where I’m not being myself on the basketball court,” Maxey said.
Maxey entered the NBA as a 20-year-old rookie in 2020-21, averaging 8.0 points and 2.0 assists in 15.3 minutes per game while making just eight starts. His role expanded dramatically the following season, when he averaged 17.5 points and 4.3 assists in 35.3 minutes while starting 74 of 75 games., via HoopsHype.
Harden’s arrival came during that 2021-22 season, and Maxey says he initially wondered how the veteran star would affect his role.
“He came in and I was like all right, well I didn’t know how my role would change if I was gonna take a step back, but he made sure that didn’t happen, that I stayed aggressive, that I stayed progressing, and he made sure of it,” Maxey said.
Maxey averaged 20.3 points in 60 games during the 2022-23 season, then took another significant step in 2023-24. He posted 25.9 points and 6.2 assists per game while earning his first All-Star selection and winning Most Improved Player.
His production continued to rise after Harden’s departure. Maxey averaged 26.3 points and 6.1 assists in 52 games in 2024-25 before reaching a career-high 28.3 points per game in 2025-26, along with 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals.
He also became more efficient at the free-throw line, converting 89.2% of his attempts in 2025-26, while shooting 46.2% from the field and 36.7% from three-point range.
Maxey’s playoff career has included several high-volume performances as his responsibility has increased. He averaged 29.8 points and 6.8 assists in six postseason games in 2023-24 and entered the 2025-26 playoffs with a career postseason scoring average of 19.1 points.
Looking back on Harden’s influence, Maxey emphasized that the biggest lesson was not to alter his identity to accommodate another player.
“I would never change, I could change the way I play, but I’d never change my aggressiveness and who I think I am out there on the court because of him,” Maxey said.
That approach has helped Maxey evolve from a second-unit rookie into a three-time All-Star and 2025-26 All-NBA Third Team selection.
Philadelphia is now entering a new phase around Maxey and Joel Embiid after acquiring Jaylen Brown from Boston for Paul George and adding LeBron James in free agency. With Brown and James joining the roster, Maxey’s ability to remain aggressive while sharing the floor with other high-level offensive players will again be central to the 76ers’ plans.
