Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey earns All-Star reserve spot, joining Joel Embiid on Eastern Conference roster

SALT LAKE CITY — Tyrese Maxey insinuated that being named an NBA All-Star wasn’t necessarily his main goal.

“For me, I’m just happy to have consideration,” the 76ers point guard said recently.

Maxey received more than consideration Thursday, as he was announced as an All-Star Game reserve for the Eastern Conference during TNT’s Inside the NBA telecast.

While watching the telecast on his cellphone, Maxey received phone calls from Joel Embiid and his mother wishing him congratulations. He thought of the hard work that he’s put over the seasons to go from a late first-round pick in 2020 to an All-Star in his fourth season.

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“That’s all I think of, all the hard work I put in,” Maxey said. “All the hard work that we’ve done this year, and the winning that we’ve had, the success that we had. You can’t be an All-Star if you don’t help your team win games.”

The reserves, selected by the league’s coaches, were announced two hours before tip-off of the Sixers’ game against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center. The All-Star Game will be played on Feb. 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

“I think it’s certainly well deserved,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “He’s played amazing. He’s worked really hard. You know it was a big jump-up year for him. Everybody said he lived up to all that and probably more. I always keep saying the exciting thing is he’s got a long ways to go to reach the ceiling yet. So congrats to him.”

Maxey will join Embiid, who was named an Eastern Conference starter on Jan. 25. This marks the first time the Sixers will have multiple All-Stars in the same season since Embiid and Ben Simmons in 2021.

Maxey, who will be 23 years and 106 days old when the game is played, will become the fifth-youngest All-Star in franchise history, trailing Simmons (22 years, 212 days), Jrue Holiday (22, 250), Dolph Schayes (22, 287), and Luke Jackson (23, 074).

Entering Thursday, Maxey was averaging career highs in points (25.7), rebounds (3.6), assists (6.6), and steals (1.0). He scored a career-high 50 points against the Indiana Pacers in a 137-126 victory on Nov. 12.

“I’m just super proud of him,” Tobias Harris said. “The work that he’s put in, and I’m happy that he’s been rewarded. There’s been a lot of players that have been playing great ball, and he’s definitely been at the top of that list.

“I kept hearing different names, and I was like, ‘He better be on that list because of the way he’s been balling this year.’ And for him to get that nod shows from like the coaches, players, fans, everything, just the respect that he deserves in this league.”

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The conference’s other All-Star reserves are the Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and forward Julius Randle.