Tyrese Maxey spars with Tyrese Haliburton in ‘The Chat’ — and discusses the Sixers, his season, and shoes

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be in a group chat with Tyrese Maxey, Wednesday night was your chance to find out.

During the Thunder-Lakers game, WhatsApp partnered with OffBall News to host The Chat — a live group chat experience hosted by the Sixers’ Maxey along with the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton and mutual trainer Drew Hanlen as the trio reacted to the first half.

Open to the public, but limited to 1,000 participants to keep it manageable, the group chat drew plenty of attendees as two of the NBA’s brightest stars watched hoops, chatted with fans, and even talked some smack.

“Sitting here in my streaming room ready to talk some trash,” Maxey said in a video message to fans. “Ready to talk about the game and interact with the fans, let’s get it.”

» READ MORE: NBA power rankings roundup: Sixers fall after losing four of their last seven games

Here’s a look at what you missed during Wednesday’s chat …

Just like in any group chat, someone has to mess up the plans before they begin. As Maxey and Hanlen started the live experience by sending in short videos to welcome the fans, Haliburton lagged a little behind.

Hanlen told the group chat that Haliburton was going to be a little late as he was midway through a haircut — sparking Troel-like comments from Maxey.

“Man’s got a cut and put a hoodie on,” Maxey said.

“Let’s not talk about the cut you had at the 2K shoot a couple months ago,” Haliburton replied.

“Cut can’t be as bad as mine 🤦🏾‍♂️,” Maxey responded.

Five minutes in, and both Tyreses were already texting like close friends, throwing jabs left and right while fans reacted under every text.

By the end of the event, Maxey and Haliburton were discussing their head-to-head performances, with Maxey highlighting his first career 50-point game coming against the Pacers.

“And 50 [points] on Hali definitely top 2,” Maxey said in reference to his favorite performances. “We got on my pod a day or two later.”

» READ MORE: How good is Tyrese Maxey? He’s now in a class with Sixers great Allen Iverson and other NBA elites.

The former Kentucky guard has had an electric start to the 2025-26 season, averaging 32.1 points while leading the Sixers to seven wins in their first 11 games.

Despite it being way too early in the season to make any predictions, Haliburton guaranteed that Maxey would be an All-Star in February when the rosters are announced.

“Tyrese a starter this year [for sure],” Haliburton said.

The Pacers guard pushed further regarding Maxey’s expectations, asking if he planned on averaging above 30 points for the whole season, and after some pushing from Hanlen, we got a response.

“I definitely tried to duck it,” Maxey said in response to Haliburton’s question. “If I have to do that to get us in the [play]offs, I will try my best to.”

Haliburton also complimented rookie VJ Edgecombe’s recent performances while pointing out how Maxey was reminiscent of Allen Iverson while donning the Sixers’ new black throwback uniforms.

Maxey switched to wearing a shooting sleeve on his left arm as a nod to Iverson, which wasn’t the only fashion decision he had on his mind heading into the season.

“I almost went head band on [them] 😂😂😂,” Maxey said in reference to Iverson’s iconic look.

Finally, when asked about a potential upcoming signature shoe deal with New Balance, Maxey was more timid — leaving fans wondering if they’ll ever get to see a pair of Maxey 1s added to his on-court look.

“One can only hope and pray,” Maxey said.

» READ MORE: Justin Edwards’ hot shooting fuels Sixers’ comeback victory over Boston Celtics: ‘I’ve been waiting my turn’

Even though Hanlen acted as the official moderator for the event, it was Maxey who asked the hardest-hitting questions. Maxey asked Haliburton if this was his first time watching the Thunder since his Achilles tear in the NBA Finals.

Quickly doubling down, Maxey asked if Haliburton thought the Pacers would have won Game 7 if he hadn’t gotten injured.

“Of course,” Haliburton said. “What else would I say? Lol.”

“Hali had [nine points] in [seven minutes],” Hanlen said. “I normally talk [expletive] but not gonna lie, he was going to put on a show in [Game 7]. Injury robbed us of an epic NBA Finals.”

“Agreed,” Maxey responded.

“Yeah man, next topic,” Haliburton finished. “You [are going to] have me reliving [expletive].”

The trio went on to discuss the new All-Star format, OKC’s dominance, and Haliburton’s recovery while the Thunder blew out the Lakers by 30 points.

A man of many predictions, Haliburton would choose Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win a second straight MVP award — while picking backup Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell for the most improved award.

» READ MORE: Sixers unveil City Edition jerseys with a more muted approach

The event ended with all three men signing off at halftime, leaving some fans feeling disappointed.

“Lame, they should [have] talked all game,” one fan said. Another lamented that there weren’t any fan interactions.

But there will be more chats, including one later this month that might interest Philly fans.

On Nov. 23, WhatsApp and OffBall will host another event featuring Kylie Kelce, Chiefs fan Caleb Hearon, and Queen Emma for the Colts vs. Chiefs broadcast that features two of the AFC’s best teams.