PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers fell into the LeBron James avalanche and lost 112-108 at home to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. When the score was tied at 100, James hit a long jump and then a three-pointer. After the 76ers tied the score at 105, James hit a step-back three-pointer and then a tough long shot for 2 points, leading 110-105 with 27.4 seconds left in the game.
With 7.6 seconds left in the game, Tyrese Maxey hit a three-pointer to bring the score to 110-108. Luka Doncic made two free throws, and then James stole Philadelphia’s inbounds pass to seal the victory for the Lakers. In Year 23, while battling sciatica and arthritis in his feet, James posted an incredible 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists to lead Los Angeles to its first win in Philadelphia since December 7, 2017.
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Maxey has a close relationship with James as the two often worked out together in the summer and worked morning jobs, and he showed the future Hall of Famer a lot of love and respect after the Sixers’ blowout loss.
“I told him today, ‘Man, there’s nothing wrong with your feet,'” Maxey laughed after the loss. “He’s running, he’s dunking with his left hand, but he has longevity. I think he takes care of his body and he loves the game. He loves the game and as someone who I think I love the game too, coming from myself, all you can do is appreciate that, man. Appreciate that and cherish the moments and I think the biggest respect is just to go out and compete with him every night and try to make it tough for him. I think we did that for the most part.”
Maxi is undoubtedly a man who loves the game of basketball. He goes to the gym every morning at 5 or 6 o’clock because he wants to get work done every day. James is the epitome of longevity, continuing to perform at a high level for 23 years despite having nothing to prove. When his career is over, he will be in the Hall of Fame. He is already the scoring leader in NBA history. He has four championships. At this point, he’s doing it for the love of the game.
Does Maxey consider James an inspiration for his career longevity?
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“I don’t think I want to play for another 23 years!” Maxi said with wide eyes. “I don’t think so. I don’t think so, but I do see it as an inspiration, as a guy who’s trying his best to get better every year… He wakes up at 6:00 in the morning, 5:00 in the morning, we work out in the summer. Like, he’s a Hall of Famer. Arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, and he’s still doing it. Just to get better. Just for the sake of it. Now, that’s the inspiration.”
James and the Lakers won on Sunday, but Maxey will always have this relationship with him. No matter what, he can go to James and get some wisdom or advice that will help him in the future.
“I admire him, man,” Maxey said of James. “He does a lot of things. He gives me a lot of wisdom. Like I said, I appreciate him like a brother to me, man. I can call him and talk to him anytime. We can joke with each other every now and then, but he’s a great player. A pretty good player.”
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wired: Tyrese Maxey singles out LeBron James after Sixers loss to Lakers
