Tyrese Maxey wins NBA’s offseason community assist award

Tyrese Maxey is the winner of the offseason’s NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award, the league announced Thursday morning.

The honor recognizes the 76ers’ All-Star guard’s work through the Tyrese Maxey Foundation in Philly and Dallas, his hometown. In August, he hosted a “Friends & Family Weekend” in Philly, which included a golf tournament and free youth skills camp. The following weekend, he hosted a similar camp and golf clinic in Dallas. More than 700 children took part in the programs, according to the NBA’s news release.

“It’s such an honor to receive the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for the offseason,” Maxey said in the release. " I’m grateful to even be in a position to make a difference in the lives of Philadelphia- and Dallas-area youth. I believe in the power of education and sports to transform lives and am committed to supporting our youth as they pursue their dreams.

“Thank you to the NBA for this recognition, and to everyone who has supported the Tyrese Maxey Foundation along the way.”

At the Philly event, Maxey announced he would donate $1 million to local youth organizations. He also announced two scholarships, one for a college student and another for a community partner “reflecting the event’s mission to provide students with the support needed to pursue their academic endeavors.” The pledges came a few weeks after Maxey signed his five-year, $204 million max contract with the Sixers.

“I wanted it to be a deal where we were actually giving back, actually giving opportunities, actually giving stuff to others,” Maxey said of his foundation. “I think that’s what we’ve done, and now we’re growing.”

Maxey also received the NBA’s monthly Community Assist award in November of 2022, after holding a turkey drive during the holiday season. The award is named after Bob Lanier, an NBA League Office executive and NBA Cares Ambassador for more than 30 years.