The most passionate Philadelphia 76ers fans crowned Tyrese Maxey as this season’s Most Valuable Player at one point throughout the year. While his validity in those conversations is questionable, the entire NBA fandom awarded Maxey his flowers in droves.
He received the second-largest number of votes in the Eastern Conference for the 2025-26 All-Star teams in the first fan-voting return, trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo. What's more, the guard tallied the third-most league-wide, more than Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This is a testament to how impressive Maxey has been this year.
Lakers' Luka Doncic and Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the NBA's first 2025-26 All-Star fan voting returns: pic.twitter.com/no0xNHMuXD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 29, 2025
Just when fans suspected that the one-time all-star neared his peak, he took another leap. Maxey is averaging 30.7 points per game this season, which is not only a career high, but also the third-best output in the NBA. He has 6.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals to go along with it as well.
Maxey seemingly entered this season craving vengeance after Philadelphia totaled just 24 wins last year. He further improved his off-the-dribble scoring and has better responded to various defensive coverages. These upgrades have allowed the guard to create quality scoring opportunities for himself and teammates. Not to mention, he continues to progress defensively, forcing turnovers at an impressive rate.
The 25-year-old’s ascension has been the driving factor of the 76ers’ success. The team is just eight wins from matching its sum from last season, with a 16-14 record, the seventh-best in the conference. Although Philadelphia is amidst a three-game losing streak, Maxey’s play will undoubtedly be a key factor in snapping it.
It's no coincidence that he’s on pace to receive his second all-star nod during a breakout season. Maxey got his first selection in the 2023-24 campaign, when he won the Most Improved Player award. The guard posted a then-career-best 25.9 points, a 5.6 point improvement from the year prior as he kept Philadelphia afloat while Joel Embiid–who placed 17th conference-wide in all-star voting–suffered a torn meniscus.
Two seasons later, Maxey is in a similar position once more. Except this time, he may participate in the All-Star Weekend tournament as a starter after coming off the bench in his last time around.
After the 76ers’ 124-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, fans are doubting their championship-contention status more than ever. One thing is certain, however, Maxey is on the precipice of cementing his place in top-15 player conversations and a second all-star appearance would only boost his case.