Sixers' Tyrese Maxey Explains Firing Back at Smack Talkers

Lately, Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey has been quite active on social media.

Admittedly, the one-time All-Star has had a lot of time on his hands during the offseason for obvious reasons.

The Sixers just wrapped up one of their worst seasons of the Joel Embiid era. For Maxey, it was by far a low point for the former first-rounder out of Kentucky. Being in the NBA since 2020, Maxey has experienced a playoff run each season before the 2024-2025 run.

With a 24-58 record, the Sixers placed third-to-last in the Eastern Conference and entered the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery with the fifth-best odds of picking up the first pick.

A lot has been said about Maxey, Joel Embiid, Paul George, and the entire Sixers organization. On social media, Maxey decided to toss out a big message for his followers. A bit of a change of pace for the always-positive point guard.

Tyrese Maxey’s Viral Message

via @TyreseMaxey: Yall talking yall mess on this app this summer! UNDERSTOOD🫡!

Yall talking yall mess on this app this summer! UNDERSTOOD🫡!
— Tyrese Maxey (@TyreseMaxey) July 19, 2025

While Embiid and George’s injury-filled years came with more criticism than anybody on the Sixers, Maxey might’ve caught the most heat in his career throughout the 2024-2025 campaign and beyond.

The timing of Maxey’s social media post suggested he saw the negative comments about his ability to be the focal point of a winning team, or his value as a point guard.

Recently, the young star addressed the viral post in an interview with ClutchPoints.

Jan 29, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) and guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) celebrate a victory against the Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Maxey Clears the Air

“That wasn't even for me personally,” Maxey said.

“That was just in general. I mean, I had a lot of time on my hands, sadly, because we lost early. I just got a chance to really read people's tweets, not just that pertain to me, just pertain to everybody in the world. It's just like, ‘Man, people are really getting stuff off their chest.' Hey, I get it. Get it off, man. I'm not mad at it at all. Hey, if you've got something to say, speak it. That's the world that we live in. That's why we live in America.”

No matter what Maxey meant in the moment, it seems he’s taking some critical comments in stride and using them as motivation heading into next season.

In the numbers, Maxey had a strong season. He scored at a career-high pace with 26 points, and tied his career high in assists at six per game. However, his efficiency dipped. From the field, Maxey made 44 percent of his shots, while he hit on just 34 percent of his threes.

Maxey played some of his best ball for short stretches during the 2024-2025 NBA season. He also sometimes struggled without his star supporters sharing the court with him. When it was all said and done, Maxey joined a long list of injured Sixers and played in fewer than 60 games for the first time in his career.

The one-time All-Star has a lot to prove, just like the rest of the Sixers do. He might not be taking the comments too hard, but he sure seems to be well-aware of the fact that bulletin board material certainly exists.

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