Philadelphia 76ers Photo
Former Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey has blossomed into a NBA star — he has three 50-point games for the Philadelphia 76ers this season — and Tuesday was named the Kia NBA Most Improved Player.
Maxey had been good before but this season he averaged 25.9 points per game — almost six more points per game than he did last season. Maxey was the NBA’s 11th leading scorer during the regular season and was a more potent, consistent scorer than a lot of big-name players.
He also averaged 6.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks per game — all career highs and the reason he had 51 first-place votes to easily win the most improved award of Coby White of the Chicago Bulls
Maxey made the All-Star Game for the first time and helped Philadelphia make the playoffs even though 2023 league MVP Joel Embiid missed 43 games.
The 76ers are down 2-0 to the Knicks in the playoffs but Maxey is averaging 34 points per game and just missed a triple-double with 35 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in game two (game three is Thursday night at 7:30 on TNT).
He played one year at Kentucky and was one of the Southeastern Conference’s best freshmen. He was also a fan favorite known for his infectious personality and non-stop energy on the court. He averaged 14 points and 34.5 minutes per game — and don’t forget he hit the game-winning shots to beat No. 1 Michigan State in his first collegiate game.
