Rich Paul tees off, Jaylen Brown shows love, and more from Tyrese Maxey Friends & Family Weekend
Tyrese Maxey hosted his third annual Friends & Family weekend, with proceeds benefiting his foundation and its mission to strengthen families and communities.
Tyrese Maxey is from Texas, but he has made Philadelphia his new home. Each year, the point guard hopes to give back to the community that has watched him “become a man.”
“I grew up here,” said Maxey, who’s entering his seventh season with the 76ers. “My daughter [3-month-old Marvel] is going to grow up here. … And I appreciate all the love and support that the Philly people, the Philly fans, the Philly community has [given] to me — and not just for myself, but my foundation as well, my family. They’ve really gotten behind what we’re trying to do here, and I’m nothing but grateful for it.”
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One way he’s fulfilling his mission of giving back and leading by example is through the Tyrese Maxey Friends & Family Weekend. The three-day event features a Night of Giving dinner, a celebrity golf tournament, and a 1% Skills basketball camp, with proceeds benefiting the Tyrese Maxey Foundation and its mission to strengthen families and communities.
Here’s a look behind the scenes at the third annual weekend:
Night of Giving
At the Vie by Cescaphe venue on Broad Street, basketball-themed centerpieces lined the tables, a mural of Maxey with the words “1% Better Every Day” decorated the left wall, and the two-time All-Star stood with new Sixer Jaylen Brown.
Brown stopped by Maxey’s Night of Giving dinner after his introductory news conference at the Francis J. Myers Recreation Center and throwing out the first pitch at the Phillies game earlier that day.
“JB did say a lot of things in his presser that meant a lot to our team already,” Maxey said. “We talk a lot already, that’s like unheard of, you know what I’m saying, for a group of guys who haven’t really met together at one time. Talking, joking around in the group chat, talking about him skydiving. That’s all fun and games and I think the camaraderie is there. … And like I said, we have a lot of guys who like to do this community stuff as well. That’s a big thing. It’s going to be a big thing for our community in Philadelphia.”
The Night of Giving dinner featured a silent auction that included items like a signed Joel Embiid jersey, a custom Tyrese Maxey rug, signed Mike Tyson boxing gloves, and a signed Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum jersey. Maxey said the dinner was the perfect way to kick-start a weekend devoted to giving back to the community.
“I think [the Night of Giving] is extremely special because you can do a lot of fellowship here, do a lot of talking, do a lot of networking,” Maxey said. “And then it’s like all of us coming together. Everybody in this room is a piece of making the foundation special. And a piece of making this community special. And that’s something that we really do appreciate.”
Celebrity golf tournament
Fans drove past the first hole of The Union League Golf Club at Torresdale and yelled out to Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul as Maxey and LeBron James’ agent practiced his swing before teeing off at the celebrity tournament.
“Only in Philly,” Paul responded as he proceeded to take his first swing of the day.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, another new Sixer represented by Klutch Sports, followed with a swing of his own, slicing the ball to the left of the fairway.
Also among the more than 70 participants at the third annual tournament were Brandon Graham, Justin Edwards, Labaron Philon Jr., Dominick Barlow, and Jabari Walker. Brown was also in attendance after making an appearance at Eagles training camp earlier in the day.
“He showed up to the Night of Giving, he showed up to the golf tournament,” Maxey said. “I said, ‘Look man, anything you want to do, let me know. I’ve been here for the last seven years so whatever you want to do, I’m pretty sure I have some type of connection with my team, the foundation. And we’re going to get it done.’
“That makes me even more happy that somebody wants to come right in and he’s done the whole city tour, I feel like. He’s been everywhere. … That’s just love, man. I think the city is going to be glad to have him.”
Since Maxey was drafted by the Sixers in 2020, he has remained a pillar in the community — giving back to the community through the Maxey Friends & Family Weekend, his annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive, awarding scholarships and hosting school supply drives through his foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 2021 with a mission to give the youth skills to become the next generation of leaders in the community.
1% Skills Camp
As Maxey prepared for 1% Skills Camp, a free youth basketball camp for kids ages 7-12, one of the kids asked him, “How much younger are you than LeBron?”
Maxey responded, “probably like 30 years.”
The William A. Graham Athletics & Wellness Center at Penn Charter had more than 200 kids participating in drills and competitions led by Maxey and local coaches.
“Honestly, the biggest thing is just the love and the support,” Maxey said. “ … I always talk about getting 1 percent better not just in basketball but with life in general.”
Since becoming a father, Maxey has a new perspective on the 1% Skills Camp.
“It just makes me want to be more involved,” Maxey said. “Especially going through the experiences of a three-month-old. I’m just grateful. Grateful to be a father. Grateful to be someone who can protect her, watch her grow up, and try to be a loving person in her life.”
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After the camp, Maxey said he planned on competing in a pickup game with some of the camp directors — a task that was going to be a little difficult after a full day of golfing.
“I took like three, four holes off to go check on Marvel, it was getting too hot for me,” Maxey said. “I’m more of a front-nine, back-nine guy. But 18 — I’m feeling it today, honestly. I’m old now. I’m 25, got to get to stretching a little bit and do a little foam rolling, maybe. Can’t just roll out of bed and go dunk anymore. No, I’m just playing.”
