As the oldest player in the NBA, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has seen some of the league’s best up-and-coming stars rise up the ranks and establish themselves as the next guard.
For example, James faced off against the Philadelphia 76ers, who have been led by Tyrese Maxey during the 2025-26 season. While the Lakers and James are the ones that took home the win, Maxey did his part to keep the 76ers in it as he led his team in scoring with 28 points to go along with nine assists and seven rebounds.
Philadelphia is a bit of a wild card in the Eastern Conference and Maxey is the biggest reason why because of his electric speed and scoring, plus his improved ability as a playmaker.
After the win against the 76ers, James expressed his love and appreciation for Maxey both as a player and person as he has gotten to know him over the years, as seen on Spectrum SportsNet:
“I would guarantee his pace is a lot faster than my pace these days. But I love the success and the humbleness that Tyrese does it at. It starts with his family. He’s just taking full advantage of the opportunity here and made the most of it. Every summer we get together and train to get ready for the season. Obviously it wasn’t as extended this summer than previous summers because of the injury I was dealing with, but we did get an opportunity to get on the floor a few times. Obviously I love his game, but I love him the person more than even his game. And that’s tough to do. As great as he is on the court.”
James and Maxey are both represented by Klutch Sports, so it’s not difficult for them to find time in the offseason to work out together. Joel Embiid has long been the face of the 76ers franchise, but it appears a changing of the guard is happening as Maxey continues to establish himself in the organizational hierarchy.
James may be nearing the end of his career, but he’s shown he can still hang with young stars like Maxey. The Lakers still feel a tier or two away from being bonafide contenders, but if James can turn back the clock then they have an outside shot.
JJ Redick jokes that he’s glad LeBron James’ double-digit scoring streak is over
LeBron James recently saw his double-digit streak come to an end, though he wasn’t very upset since it happened in a win. Head coach JJ Redick also joked he was happy to see James’ streak come to an end, though he praised the star for his consistency over the course of his career.
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