Tyrese Maxey once ‘borrowed belief’ to buoy his career. Now he’s a bona fide star in his biggest role yet.

Cheers erupted inside Xfinity Mobile Arena when the video board found Tyrese Maxey, who grinned and guided the hand of his baby daughter, Marvel, into a wave as the 76ers finished off their preseason Blue x White scrimmage.

That epitomized how Maxey has grown up in his six-plus years inside the organization. From teenager to dad. From 21st overall draft pick to franchise leader coming off his first All-NBA selection and ranking fifth in the league in scoring at 28.3 points per game. From LeBron James’ workout partner to the person James confided in while making his “final decision” to join the Sixers.

So much of this much-anticipated 2026-27 season will be focused on the starry newcomers in James and All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown, and if their implementation can result in immediate title contention. Yet a huge reason those big names are here is a belief in Maxey — and his belief in himself — as a still-ascending player worthy of attracting and building a modern super team.

“I’m at the point now where I’ve shown what I can do, talent-wise, I think,” Maxey said. “Of course, I’m going to continue to get better. But I want to be judged by winning. … That’s really my main mindset, my main goal, is finding ways to win.”

Maxey’s career arc thus far has included a shift from rookie spark plug to starting point guard during Ben Simmons’ holdout. Then to dynamic All-Star complement to Joel Embiid and James Harden. Then to top offensive scoring option — and relentless minutes-eater — while injuries regularly kept Embiid and Paul George sidelined.

That created Maxey’s versatile set of “tools in my bag,” he said, as a lead ballhandler who could explode to the basket, pull up from deep range, and make plays for others and as a defender. But he had to work so hard to generate so much of his own offense — “lots of dribbles ... find space, bounce around, find more space,” as coach Nick Nurse recently described — the past two seasons while facing a variety of defensive schemes. Maxey was self-critical after the New York Knicks aggressively swarmed him in their playoff sweep of the Sixers, saying, “They made it tough on me. I can’t even sit here and lie. … It was definitely one of the hardest series I’ve played in, for just myself.”

When Maxey and personal trainer Drew Hanlen further reflected on his season, they set a goal to increase his efficiency by improving his balance during summer workouts.

Hanlen recently told The Inquirer by phone that Maxey wanted to use his body and strength to effectively change speeds and “control defenders,” instead of always turning on the jets to try to “just rush past everybody.” They took film study to solo on-court work, then added defenders to simulate game-like scenarios. Hanlen was looking for Maxey to get his feet set better before firing from three-point range or elevating at the rim, to periodically slow down to and shift to mid-range jumpers in the paint, and to find an open teammate instead of forcing a finish inside.

One day, Hanlen said, things finally clicked.

Maxey was running a 1-on-1 drill during which he was only allowed to shoot three-pointers — and the defender knew it. In years past, Hanlen said, Maxey would “dance” to create separation for a step-back shot. This time, he was more deliberately using his body to move the defender before elevating.

Watch the first episode

After an exciting Sixers offseason highlighted by the additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, join Inquirer beat writers Gina Mizell and Chris Hine for a preview of the season. Watch here. 

Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

During a water break, the prevailing message was “this [stuff’s] unstoppable.”

“The biggest breakthrough was just him understanding that the easiest solution is usually the best solution,” Hanlen said. “Making the game easier is a good thing.”

In the middle of those individual training sessions, the Sixers pulled off the stunning trade for Brown. That suddenly put them in contention to also land James, who had decided to enter free agency.

“I was like, ‘Oof, OK, this is interesting,’” Maxey recalled. “… I was like, ‘Man, I’m here, so might as well ask [James if he would consider joining the Sixers]. Hit him up.”

A reason Maxey had signed with Klutch agency was to put him in the orbit of people like James, his mother, Denyse, told The Inquirer during the 2021-22 season. The two players had worked out together in Los Angeles during offseasons since Maxey’s 2020 pre-draft preparation. Through multiple conversations, James asked if his personality — and all the hoopla he inevitably brings as a legendary player and one of the world’s most famous humans — would be an asset or detriment to the Sixers’ existing environment.

“I’m kind of used to the noise and all those different things, so that doesn’t bother me,” Maxey said. “My biggest thing is I want to help my teammates, this organization, try to win basketball games and try to win at the highest level.”

» READ MORE: LeBron James’ commute has drawn attention. Here’s what we know about the 76ers star’s helicopter trips from New York.

Once James chose to sign with the Sixers, those morning sessions included running actions they could use on the court as teammates. Brown joined for a few workouts, with clips recorded and released on social media. Maxey also spent time with Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Anfernee Simons in Dallas and Camden, complete with meals at his home and cameos by Marvel at the gym. Maxey viewed it as a way to quell some initial “awkwardness” and foster camaraderie weeks before training camp began.

“That’s the easiest way to get to know guys,” Maxey said. “… Trying to just bring guys together as much as I possibly can.”

Though it was still “weird” for Maxey to see James and Brown in a Sixers jersey inside the practice facility, Brown commended his new teammate for his welcoming nature. Brown and James both pulled out Maxey’s “1% better every day” mantra during their media day news conferences. Fellow newcomer Dean Wade immediately noticed Maxey’s work ethic that those inside the building have experienced for years. And Edgecombe said Maxey has been even more vocal, “even with the squad we got.

“You’d expect him to get a little quieter, but nah,” said Edgecombe, who built a strong rapport with Maxey during their first season together. “… He’s doing a really great job leading, making sure everyone’s locked in, paying attention to details, making sure everyone understands what’s going on on the floor.”

On the court, the Sixers’ revamped roster means Maxey will no longer constantly have the ball in his hands, allowing him to move without “the entire defense looking at me all the time.” Evidence of that: He got two catch-and-shoot looks from three-point range while playing with their new starting lineup in a preseason game at the Brooklyn Nets.

“I didn’t get many of those the last two years,” Maxey said. “… That’s a piece of my game that’s really, really good.”

Hanlen recently thought back to a film session years ago with Maxey and Embiid, when the star center projected that Maxey was on an All-Star fast track. Maxey, as Hanlen put it, was a little more modest about his potential and initially needed to grab Embiid’s “borrowed belief” in him.

Entering Maxey’s third season, Hanlen challenged him to bump a goal to average 20 points per game up to 25. When Maxey returned the next day, saying he had officially wrapped his head around that number, Hanlen increased it to 26. Maxey averaged 25.9 points that season, became a first-time All-Star, and won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.

Last year, in addition to increasing his assists and improving his defense, Maxey said he wanted his scoring average to tick up to 28 points per game. He surpassed that with 28.3 points and wondered aloud after the season if he could have averaged more if he had his sights higher.

“That’s why he’s looking at the little micro changes in his game,” Hanlen said, “so that he can become the player that he knows he’s capable of becoming now.”

Maxey and Hanlen did not verbalize statistical goals this offseason, because that efficiency will be more important on such a talent-rich roster. Maxey, though, has half-jokingly asked his trainer, “Why can’t I be the MVP?” or “Why can’t I be the best player in the NBA?”

He has already dramatically developed in six NBA seasons. Teenager to dad. Twenty-first overall draft pick to All-NBA. LeBron workout partner to LeBron confidant.

And from borrowed belief to reason for belief in this new-look super team.

“Now, when he walks into the arena or a gym, he knows that he’s one of the best basketball players in the world,” Hanlen said. “…The conversations have changed, where there’s a very confident player that knows that he can impact at a high level and be one of the best players in the NBA.”