Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey named starter in NBA All-Star Game
Maxey becomes the Sixers’ first guard to be an All-Star starter since Allen Iverson in 2010.
When Tyrese Maxey first learned he could become an NBA All-Star Game starter, the 76ers point guard said it would be cool.
He talked about watching Joel Embiid start in an All-Star Game and how much he enjoyed watching his teammate’s experience.
“So if I’m blessed with the opportunity, I definitely won’t take it for granted,” Maxey said on Dec. 29.
The opportunity has become a reality.
Maxey learned Monday that he was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.
The starters were announced shortly after 2 p.m. on NBC/Peacock before the tipoff of the nationally televised game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers. The All-Star reserves, selected by the league’s coaches, will be announced at a later date. The game will be played on Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
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Maxey becomes the first Sixers guard selected to start an All-Star Game since Hall of Famer Allen Iverson in 2010. Iverson, however, did not participate in the game because his daughter, Messiah, was ill. The last time the Sixers had a player voted to start in the event was Embiid in 2024. He didn’t play because of a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Maxey made his first All-Star team that season as a reserve. But after missing the cut last season, he’ll be a two-time All-Star.
Fans accounted for 50% of the vote to determine the 10 starters. A media panel and NBA players each accounted for 25% of the vote. This season, All-Stars are selected regardless of position.
Denver Nuggets center and three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and Milwaukee Bucks forward and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo are leading vote-getters in their respective conferences.
The starters from the Eastern Conference are Maxey, Antetokounmpo, New York Knicks point guard and former Villanova standout Jalen Brunson, Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham, and Boston Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown.
For the Western Conference, the starters are Jokić, Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Dončić, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama.
Maxey finished second in the fan voting among Eastern Conference players. He was third in the media voting and fifth in the player voting.
Under a new format, the All-Star Game will feature a U.S. vs. World competition, consisting of two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games.
It’s not surprising that Maxey was voted an All-Star starter.
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He entered Monday third in the league in scoring (30.3 points per game), tied for third in steals (1.9), and 15th in assists (6.7). He’s also fourth in made three-pointers (139), and the sixth-year veteran has scored at least 30 points in 19 of 38 games.
“Look at his stats and what he’s been doing the whole season,” teammate Quentin Grimes said. “From Game 1 to Game 41 today, he’s been probably a top-three player in the league right now. So just seeing him go out every night has been really fun to go out there and watch.”
Maxey’s season highlight came when he scored a career-high 54 points, to go with nine assists, five rebounds, three steals, and three blocks in a 123-114 overtime victory over the Bucks. He joined Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain (March 18, 1968) as the only two players in franchise history to produce at least 50 points and nine assists in a game.