Tyrese Maxey Remains Positive Despite Injury Setback
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The Philadelphia 76ers’ starting backcourt was already down a man for the last couple of weeks as the ten-time All-Star James Harden suffered a tendon strain in his foot, which will sideline him for one month.
Tyrese Maxey became one of the latest Sixers guards to suffer a significant setback this offseason. Last Friday, in the matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, Maxey injured his foot just a few minutes before halftime. After going back to the locker room to get everything checked out, the Sixers’ medical staff ruled out the young guard for the remainder of the game.
Although initial X-rays came back negative, Maxey was still placed in a walking boot and scheduled for an MRI the following morning. Those test results told a different story.
Maxey was diagnosed with a small fracture in his foot. While the injury certainly could’ve been worse, the Sixers still lose their second starting guard for several weeks, which puts them in a much tougher spot than before.
For a relentlessly hard worker like Maxey, one would assume his setback would take a toll on his spirits, considering he’s always on a basketball court improving his game.
But the high-energy guard tried to look at all the positives around him and not let the unfortunate setback affect him mentally as he recovers.
“I feel good,” said Maxey, according to Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin. “I’m happy. That’s life. I’m glad I get to be here and still support my teammates, and I can walk and smile, and my family’s in town. So it’s great. … That and then just being alive,” Maxey added. “I mean, I’m grateful to be alive every single day. Every time I get to wake up and I can breathe, and I can walk around and move around, and I have all my limbs and stuff. I still thank God every day, so I’m happy.”
Maxey’s never been one to stay in a bad mood for long, and it seems an injury that will have him week-to-week won’t change that.
Before going down with his injury, Maxey was having yet another career year. In 15 games, the young guard averaged 22 points and four assists. He was draining 46 percent of his shots from the field and hitting on 42 percent of his threes by taking nearly seven attempts per game.
According to a report, Maxey is expected to miss three-to-four weeks. The Sixers planned to re-evaluate the young veteran guard two weeks after the diagnosis to get a better idea of when he can return to the court. For the time being, Maxey will continue sporting a boot as his recovery remains in the beginning stage.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
