76ers’ Tyrese Maxey Finds Humor in Landing 3-Point Contest Invite

After the Philadelphia 76ers came up short against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, it was reported that the Sixers’ guard Tyrese Maxey was set to participate in the NBA’s 3-Point Contest in Indiana for All-Star weekend.

By accepting his invite to participate, Maxey will now be a part of two major events, as he’s also on the Eastern Conference All-Star’s roster for the first time in his career.

Maxey’s still early on in his career, but he’s come a long way over the previous few seasons. And when the young guard looks back, he can find some humor in the fact that he’s on pace to participate in such contests.

“It’s funny that I get announced for [the 3-Point Competition],” Maxey told reporters on Tuesday at a community event, according to ClutchPoints’ Sam DiGiovanni. “I think about the past; the reason I’m here in Philadelphia is because people said I couldn’t shoot. So I’m actually glad that I ended up here.”

Dating back to 2020, Maxey was a freshman star at the University of Kentucky. After his lone season playing for the Wildcats, Maxey entered the draft. When he wrapped up his short-lived collegiate career, Maxey had averaged 14 points and three assists in 31 games. According to many draft analysts, Maxey was regarded as a lottery selection.

The young guard ended up sliding to the Sixers, who held the 21st overall pick that year. Questions were raised about why Maxey slid past the lottery. The answers? His size and three-point shot. After his lone season at Kentucky, Maxey averaged just 29 percent from three.

While he didn’t enter the NBA and immediately take a jump to become one of the most dangerous deep threats, as Maxey averaged just 30 percent from three during his rookie effort, the Sixers’ guard has surely developed into one of the most efficient three-point shooters today.

During Maxey’s sophomore effort, he knocked down 43 percent of his threes. Last season, he notched a new career-high, drilling 43 percent of his long-range attempts. While there’s been a slight dip in that category this season, Maxey is still averaging 38 percent from three, staying above the league average.

On Saturday, February 17, Maxey will attempt to become the second Sixer in a row to take home an All-Star Weekend contest title, following Mac McClung’s stunning Dunk Contest victory last season.