How the Sixers created the ‘Maxey Museum’ — and kept the secret — to celebrate Tyrese Maxey’s max contract

Tyrese Maxey had “no idea” why his family was traveling up the escalator at the Four Seasons hotel earlier this summer. His mother, Denyse, had an inkling, but did not realize the full scope of what they were about to experience.

And then they all walked into the Maxey Museum. It featured video messages that brought him to tears from Philly basketball legends, along with personal family and friends. And mementos from his basketball journey, from his first pair of basketball shoes, to the NBA honors acquired during his fourth 76ers season. And 200 handwritten letters from fans, detailing how his play and personality have brightened their lives.

This elaborate walk-through presentation was technically to celebrate Maxey signing his max contract — and the patience he exercised in waiting a year to finalize such a deal, which enabled the Sixers to execute a terrific offseason. But the Sixers used the milestone to recognize the player and person Maxey has been and become, and how the franchise and city continue to embrace him.

“It was breathtaking,” Denyse told The Inquirer Tuesday afternoon. " … It was just the emotions of it all, like, they really love my son. As a parent, you want your son to be loved and appreciated, especially when you see him working really, really hard. “But it was just the idea of someone really thought of something like this — as special and amazing as it was — just to say thank you to our son.”

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The Sixers’ creative team began brainstorming ideas to celebrate Maxey’s new deal in April, landing on an immersive experience. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey loved their pitch and, with the sign-off from the franchise’s ownership group, received “full reign to really make it so special,” VP of partnership solutions Victoria Isley told The Inquirer last week.

The ambitious project would require an all-hands-on-deck approach spanning nearly every department. Content and media production. Brand marketing. Basketball operations. Communications. Game presentation. Business operations. Corporate partnerships. Community and social responsibility.

“It would be easier to name the departments that weren’t involved,” said VP and creative brand director Tommy Beebe, who helped spearhead the project. “Everybody leaned in on this.”

They compiled video highlights of Maxey’s Sixers career, along with data about jersey sales and community endeavors. They mocked up sketches and physical renderings on how the physical and digital aspects could all be assembled cohesively. They kept adding to the collection in real time, after Maxey won the NBA’s Most Improved Player and Sportsmanship awards, and went on a wild scoring flurry at Madison Square Garden in Game 5 of the Sixers’ playoff series against the New York Knicks. They even created a nine-foot hologram.

And when they asked prominent connections, such as Dawn Staley and John Calipari, to record messages for Maxey, “they ran towards it to be a part of it,” Beebe said.

“This speaks a lot to the entire backing that this community and this city has for Tyrese.”

The Sixers also needed help from Maxey’s family, particularly with childhood memories. So Denyse pulled trophies and medals out of display cases inside their family home near Dallas. She compiled photographs and old-school video footage of Tyrese playing in baggy shorts.

The tough part? Tyrese hates surprises, Denyse said. And Tyrese is “a nosy kid.”

When his family took part in the video filming, Tyrese thought it was for the high school graduation of his youngest sister, Denasia. When he unexpectedly dropped by the house while his memorabilia was spread out before being shipped, an out-and-about Denyse called her mother to hide it. When he peppered his mom with questions about a “random” Philly offseason trip, she told him it was for a meeting with agent Rich Paul and the Sixers’ executives.

“I was very confused,” Maxey acknowledged during a Tuesday news conference, “of why my entire family, my best friends, had to come up to Philly.”

The Sixers, meanwhile, had two full weekend days — including an overnight shift — to bring their vision to life.

The experience was “scripted down to the exact second,” Beebe said, from when Maxey left the team’s practice facility in Camden through the entire two-hour experience. They rehearsed with coach Nick Nurse and Sixers legend Julius Erving, who guided the family through the museum. The morning of the event, they rapidly incorporated a video message from a friend who is deployed.

Then, it was “showtime.”

“We wanted it to be perfect,” Beebe said. “And a coworker here reminded me [that] you don’t get these chances very often to do what we’re doing. So take a deep breath, enjoy the moment and smile, and have some fun.

“I think that was some of the best advice we ever received, because once Tyrese was coming up those escalators and we were ready to go, the show ran itself.”

The entrance unveiled a theme: The journey. The impact. The legacy. And it began with those video messages, with a simple prompt of, “Dear, Tyrese …”

“I just want to say that Philadelphia loves you,” Staley said. “I think you’re the best teammate I’ve ever had,” Joel Embiid added. “I’m really proud of the man that you’re becoming,” his father, Tyrone, shared.

And as they moved to the wall of handwritten letters, Tyrese read this one from a fan named Adam aloud.

“All my four-year-old son talks about is how he wants to play like you when he grows up,” Adam wrote. “Having you as part of this city has been such a blessing. … Thank you for being my son’s idol.”

Then, they transitioned to the space highlighting Maxey’s on-court memories and accomplishments, from his McDonald’s All-American ring, to a Kentucky jersey, to a rebounding award that caused Nurse to playfully chide his point guard. Two of Maxey’s quotable mantras — “1% better every day” and “I want to be able to say I put my all into this” — were on the walls.

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Finally, Erving greeted Maxey and invited him to ring the Sixers’ famous pregame bell. Maxey received an Allen Iverson-era black throwback jersey, prompting an excited reaction from Embiid and oodles of internet speculation about the possible return of those threads. There were nods to Maxey’s Slam Magazine cover, and to his New Balance shoe deal. Highlights rolled from his first All-Star Weekend.

Then, a banner dropped down featuring the No. 0, foreshadowing the belief that Maxey will someday have his number retired.

“That’s the thing that’s going to hang in the rafters right there,” Erving said.

Following the presentation, Paul said that, in his 23-year-career, he had never seen one like this for a player. Then, Maxey addressed the group, shouting out each person in attendance individually.

“I worked really hard, man,” Maxey said, getting choked up. “Y’all sacrificed a lot. I just felt like I was going to be prepared to step into a situation and try to help a team win. I really do appreciate you taking a chance on me and allowing me to be a part of this. … I hope I’m not going to let you down.”

Added Deynse: “That’s when it really, really set in — him finally feeling like, ‘I’m OK to breathe a little bit.’ That’s really been the whole family, just working, and working, and working, and working and trying to get him here.”

After that, the Sixers needed to immediately tear down the museum. Months of work disappeared in a matter of hours. But then the second avalanche of praise arrived the night of July 7, when the team released video footage of the tour on its social channels.

As of Wednesday afternoon, it had 3.4 million views on X (formerly Twitter).

“Our intention wasn’t to make a bunch of random internet people cry,” Beebe joked.

Teams across the league have also reached out to offer their congratulations — and to ask how they pulled it off, a source told The Inquirer. Beebe hopes the project illustrates how the organization strives to treat its players, and that it can be an inspiration for future free-agent recruitment.

Yet perhaps the Maxey Museum was executed so successfully because its subject was so deserving.

“Just seeing his reaction, and just seeing his family as emotional, as well,” Isley said. " … That was always just something, in your career, you just don’t forget.”