Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey has been announced as the winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award for 2023-24, taking home the Joe Dumars Trophy.
Maxey is the second 76er to win the award since it’s inception in 1995-96, following in the footsteps of Eric Snow, who took home the trophy in 1999-00 as a Sixer.
And Maxey found out he had won in a very special way, with his parents surprising him with the trophy.
“It means a lot,” Maxey said in the video, after joking that he wasn’t prepared to speak. “Sportsmanship means a lot to me. I go out there and play extremely hard but I still respect all my teammates and all my competitors.”
Maxey then made a point to credit his parents for that ability to strike that balance.
“[Maxey’s parents] taught me a lot, taught me how to play the game I love with a lot of passion but at the end of the day, win lose or draw, you got to respect your competitors and the guys you’re playing against,” he said.
It’s yet another accolade in what was a great 2023-24 season for Maxey as an individual. In addition to becoming a first-time All-Star this campaign, the young star was recently awarded the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the year. He finished the season as a top-11 scorer in the league, averaging career highs in points (25.9), assists (6.2) and steals (1.0).
Below is more information about the NBA Sportsmanship Award and how it is voted upon, according to a release from the team.
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