Tyrese Maxey refutes Stephen A. Smith’s claim that he went to Doc Rivers’ house to complain about James Harden
Maxey took to social media to dispute a report from Smith on ESPN that said he was nearly in tears over Harden’s playoff performance in 2023.
Tyrese Maxey wasn’t having it with Stephen A. Smith on Friday.
After Smith claimed on ESPN’s First Take that Maxey once went to former Sixers coach Doc Rivers’ house nearly in tears over James Harden’s playoff effort, the Sixers guard took to social media to dispute the story.
Smith’s comments came after Maxey and Harden, his former teammate for a season and a half, exchanged shoves and got in each other’s faces during the Sixers’ 114-106 comeback victory over the Cavaliers on Thursday night. Maxey tied for the game-high with 32 points (on 12-of-23 shooting) while Harden scored 16 points (on 5-of-12 shooting).
Smith suggested the confrontation reflected lingering frustration from their time together with the Sixers, specifically Harden’s performance in the team’s 2023 Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the Boston Celtics.
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“Remember when they got bounced out in the postseason? You remember when James Harden didn’t show up?” Smith said on ESPN. “You remember when Tyrese Maxey went to Doc Rivers’ crib, damn near crying because he was so damn frustrated for the absence of effort that took place? …
“And so last night, it did not escape me that Tyrese Maxey is going nose-to-nose against a former teammate who he once revered, because James Harden is great and he is a future Hall of Famer, [but] somebody you felt kind of felt cheated you with their effort in the postseason.
“He ain’t going to admit it, but I will. You better believe there’s some residue from stuff like that.”
In that seven-game series against the Celtics, Harden had two games in which he scored over 40 points, but in the other five games he totaled just 67 (13.4 per game) and scored nine in a Game 7 loss in Boston.
Maxey’s response directly challenged the central detail of Smith’s account. The guard denied ever visiting Rivers’ house, though he did not address Smith’s broader interpretation of his relationship with Harden or disappointment in the 2023 postseason result.
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The exchange is the latest example of the outside attention surrounding the new-look Sixers early in the season, something coach Nick Nurse anticipated before training camp even began. At the team’s first practice in September, Nurse acknowledged that the arrival of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown would bring increased scrutiny.
“It’s going to be different,” Nurse said. “Just … more people, more eyes, more stories, more national TV, all that kind of stuff.”
Since then, “noise” has been a familiar word around the Sixers as Nurse tries to keep his team’s focus on the court.
James’ helicopter commute between New York and the Sixers’ practice facility has attracted national attention, including scrutiny of his relationship with Fanatics and company founder Michael Rubin.
The outside chatter has extended beyond James’ travel arrangements. Earlier this month, James publicly disputed a report relayed by ESPN broadcaster Mike Breen that he had called out Joel Embiid for arriving late to practice. Breen subsequently apologized.
Ahead of the home opener, President Donald Trump criticized James over his apparent stretching during the national anthem Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. Nurse said that such comments go “right in with all the other outside noise we’ve already had.”
“All I really care about is getting them to the practice floor, getting in the film room, getting them to the game floor,” Nurse said before tipoff Thursday. “And the focus that they’ve had and the intent and all the stuff they’ve had has been excellent.”
Jaylen Brown added a little noise of his own postgame by appearing to call Jayson Tatum a liar with his comments on an Instagram video of his former teammates reaction to the blockbuster trade that sent brown from Boston to Philly.
A pattern has emerged in the Sixers’ responses, with all three players using emojis to call out false claims. James and Brown each responded with the 🧢 emoji, while Maxey opted for 😂 and 🫤 in his response to Smith.
While Brown wasn’t specific on what part of Tatum’s video he disputed, Maxey made his position unmistakable on at least one detail: He’s never been to Rivers’ house.
Beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine break down their most intriguing quotes from LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey during the preseason, along with what they most hope to learn about this revamped roster during the first month of the season. Watch here.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
