Tyrese Maxey added another accolade Thursday to his stellar fourth season.
The Sixers’ 23-year-old guard received the Joe Dumars Trophy as the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award winner, which “honors a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.”
Before Maxey, Eric Snow (in 1999-2000) had been the only Sixer to win the award since it began in the 1995-96 season. Sixers general manager Elton Brand earned it back in 2005-06 as a member of the Clippers.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
To select the Sportsmanship Award, all 30 teams nominate one player. A panel of league executives then select a nominee from each of the NBA’s six divisions, and players vote on the winner. Miami’s Kevin Love finished second, Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen third. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Harrison Barnes and Tre Jones were the other finalists.
Maxey’s parents, Denyse and Tyrone, broke the news to him.
Maxey has often highlighted his parents' influence, including when he cited his father’s attitude of “Proper preparation prevents poor performance” after being named Most Improved Player. The first-time All-Star has said his mother usually helps him move past tough losses and difficult moments.
NBA
“It means a lot,” Maxey said after accepting the award from his father. “Sportsmanship means a lot to me. I know I go out there and play extremely hard, but I still respect all my teammates and all of my competitors. … Y’all taught me a lot, too. Y’all taught me how to play the game that I love with a lot of passion. But at the end of the day, win, lose or draw, you’ve got to respect your competitors and the guys that you’re playing against.”
