Tyrese Maxey's Parents Surprise Him With NBA Award in Heartfelt Fashion

Patrick Andres | May 16, 2024

May 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) shoots. / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

In a cutthroat league, the NBA Sportsmanship Award is almost charming in its innocence. As an NBA release Thursday outlined, the award is given "to the NBA player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court," as voted on by their peers.

Who better to give you the award, then, than your family?

On Thursday, Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey won the award and received the Joe Dumars Trophy—named for the Hall of Fame former Detroit Pistons guard, as its first winner. In a video posted to social media by the NBA, his parents Denyse and Tyrone Maxey presented him with the award.

Tyrese Maxey’s parents surprised him with the Joe Dumars Trophy as winner of the 2023-24 NBA Sportsmanship Award! 🫶 pic.twitter.com/74psGFkUFY

— NBA (@NBA) May 16, 2024

"Wow, son. Congratulations!" Denyse said in the video. "Just wanted to give you a quick, quick update. The (2023-24) Sportsmanship Award. It's for those guys who work really, really hard on the court, but they also exemplify good sportsmanship, they're great to their teammates, they respect the sport. ... Guess who the (2023-24) Sportsmanship award is going to."

Tyrone handed the trophy to a surprised Tyrese, asking for the camera what it meant to him.

"I wasn't prepard to speak," he chuckled. "Sportsmanship means a lot to me. I always play hard but I show respect to all my teammates, all my competitors. You always gotta show respect to them."

The award has traditionally gone to some of the league's most well-liked players—guards Mike Conley, Grant Hill and Kemba Walker are all multi-time winners—and like them, Maxey isn't too shabby on the court as well.