Tyrese Maxey earns November NBA Cares Community Assist Award

On and off the court this season, Tyrese Maxey is making an impact in his new home of Philadephia.

On Friday morning, the NBA announced that the 76ers guard and former Kentucky Wildcat has been named the winner of November’s NBA Cares Community Assist Award. The monthly honor is handed out to the player who “best demonstrates the passion that the league and NBA players share for giving back to their communities.”

During the Thanksgiving holiday, Maxey and the Tyrese Maxey Foundation helped donate 300 meals (which included a turkey, a five-pound bag of potatoes, and other traditional Thanksgiving sides) to families across the western part of Philadelphia.

“I’m grateful to God, my community, and the NBA for this honor,” Maxey said in the NBA’s press release. “I feel really connected to families in Philly and Dallas because they work so hard day in and day out and I understand that hustle – to be in a position to give back, I’m truly blessed.”

congrats to our guy, @TyreseMaxey!

Tyrese received the November @nbacares Community Assist Award in recognition of his dedication to strengthening families and communities and supporting youth development. 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/zaHpXP8SFr

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 23, 2022

As part of the recognition, Maxey will be honored ahead of the 76ers’ home game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. He will be presented with the award by his head coach, Doc Rivers, with the NBA donating $10,000 to the Tyrese Maxey Foundation.

Below is more on Maxey’s involvement in the community, per the NBA.

Earlier this year, Maxey supported the 76ers’ back-to-school efforts in taking part in a surprise pep rally for the students at Forest Hill Elementary School in Camden, NJ.  During the rally, Maxey discussed with students the importance of respecting their teachers, regular attendance to classes, focus during the school day and goal setting.  All 300 students at the event received a new backpack and school supplies while every educator at the school received 76ers swag to deck out their classrooms and help further inspire students.  In addition to his work with local students, throughout the summer Maxey spent his time helping to provide youth ages 7-12 access to the game through his 1% Skills Camp.  A priority for Maxey is accessibility, and each camp hosted in Philadelphia, Garland, TX and Lexington, KY were offered free of charge for all participants, serving more than 500 youth.  The 1% Skills Camp teaches student-athletes how to get one percent better as an overall athlete and provides a one-of-a-kind experience inclusive of enhanced training, pre- and post-game workouts and valuable nutrition tips.

NBA Cares

Maxey has made a massive impact in the Philadelphia communities since his arrival ahead of the 2020-21 season. He was selected by the 76ers with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and has quickly broken out as a future star on the hardwood. Maxey went from averaging 8.0 points per game as a rookie to 17.5 per game in year two.

This season though has been his official coming-out party. While Maxey has only played the first 15 games of the season for Philly so far after suffering a foot injury in mid-November, he was on pace for a potential All-Star bid prior to that. The 22-year-old was averaging 22.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game for the 76ers on a shooting split of 46.2/42.2/73.8 before suffering the injury.

There was once a belief that Maxey would return in time for Philadephia’s Christmas Day showdown with the New York Knicks, although there has been no indication one way or the other that a return is imminent.

Regardless, congrats to Tyrese on a special honor.