Tyrese Maxey Reveals Message for 76ers Before Knicks Matchup

What's Tyrese Maxey's message to his 76ers team?

Jan 15, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) drives against New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Heading into a Wednesday night matchup against the New York Knicks on the road, the Philadelphia 76ers are at their lowest point of the year. Following Monday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls at home, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey made it clear the team isn’t mailing it in at this stage in the season.

“It’s my job to make sure that we go out there and compete extremely hard,” Maxey told reporters. “I’ll do a better job of that.”

Last week, the Bulls matchup was circled on the Sixers’ calendar as that game could’ve given the Sixers an opportunity to move past them for the final Play-In Tournament seed. A loss against the Brooklyn Nets sent the Sixers down a different direction.

Tyrese Maxey was asked whether he feels like team has resigned itself to the season being over.

"I'm never gonna sit here and lace my shoes up and be expected to lose. That's just not how I'm wired. That's not how I play basketball. That's not how I live my life." pic.twitter.com/adsPzfGfYL

— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) February 25, 2025

By the time the Sixers reached quarter three of Monday’s action against Chicago, they trailed by as many as 50 points. With a notable double-digit loss to collect their eighth-straight defeat, the Sixers realize their playoff chances are vanishing day by day. With the state of the team, Maxey revealed his message.

“It’s hard right now. It’s very difficult. It’s hard to see a vision, but we have a lot of games left,” the one-time All-Star told reporters on Monday.

Feb 24, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) is fouled by Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) while driving for a shot during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

“A lot of time left with each other. One of the messages that I want to give is that we all started playing basketball because we loved the game and it’s fun. A lot of us should be competitive. That’s how I feel. I play the game because I love it, and I play the game because I’m extremely competitive and I like to win. I got a lot of pride about winning and the effort that I put in and that we do it as a group.”

With a 20-37 record, the Sixers are in the 12th seed, placing one game behind the Brooklyn Nets. The rebuilding Toronto Raptors are two games behind the 76ers.

The road won’t get easier for the Sixers this week. On Wednesday, they’ll face a Knicks team who defeated them in five of their last six matchups. On Saturday, they’ll host the Golden State Warriors, who issued the Sixers one of their most lopsided losses of the year last month.

More 76ers on SI

Nick Nurse’s Injury Update on Eric Gordon

Sixers Add Lonnie Walker IV to Roster

Former Alabama Basketball Player Reacts to Joining the Sixers

NBA Analyst’s Blunt Take on 76ers’ Playoff Aspirations

Former Sixer Speaks on Recent Paul George Criticism