There was a special moment early on during the Philadelphia 76ersâ game against the Miami Heat on Thursday. Tyrese Maxey surpassed Allen Iverson as the franchiseâs all-time three-point shooting leader.
Heading into the game, Maxey needed just three buckets from beyond the arc to tie Iverson at 885 threes. He got there rather quickly, meeting the record within the first quarter of the game.
Before the Sixers and the Heat reached halftime, Maxey was getting a celebratory video played on the jumbotron, as he made history. After the game, Maxey credited multiple people for helping him reach this point. Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers was one of them.
What Did Tyrese Maxey Say About Doc Rivers?
GettyTyrese Maxey and Doc Rivers, during the head coach’s tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“Yeah, man, that’s a blessing, honestly,” Maxey told reporters after the game, acknowledging the milestone.
“I’m just happy, man. I’m blessed. I think God for the opportunity. I think God for the Sixers organization for drafting me, trusting me, believing in me. Thankful to both my coaches, Doc [Rivers] and [Nick] Nurse. They showed a lot of confidence in me.”
Rivers was the first coach to work directly with Maxey when he entered the NBA in 2020.
Tyrese Maxeyâs Career Under Doc Rivers
GettyDoc Rivers coached Tyrese Maxey for the star guard’s first few seasons in the NBA.
Before Rivers coached a Sixers team, he was hardly a part of their draft process. The team went into the draft with a late first-round pick, and Maxey slipped outside of the lottery. With the 21st pick, the young guard out of Kentucky ended up on the Sixers.
Rivers utilized Maxey as a reserve shooting guard in year one. He would see the court for 15.3 minutes per game. As a three-point shooter, Maxey struggled. After shooting at a 29 percent clip in college, Maxey made just 30 percent of his threes in the NBA in year one.
By year two, Maxey was much improved as a full-time starter. The young veteran averaged 17.5 points while knocking down 42 percent of his threes.
During Riversâ third and final season with the Sixers, Maxey drilled 43 percent of his shots from deep, while averaging 20.3 points per game for the first time in his career.
While Rivers received a lot of criticism for the way he approached games with players on the younger side, nobody can debate the overall success he had in coaching Maxey.
From the Rivers era on, Maxey has established himself as one of the top three-point shooters in the NBA. He earned an invite to the Three-Point Contest during All-Star weekend in Los Angeles this season. Now, heâs the franchise leader.
This season, Maxey has appeared in 56 games for the Sixers. He is averaging 29.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds. The veteran guard is shooting 46 percent from the field and hitting on 37 percent of his threes.
After putting together a line of 28 points, 11 assists, four rebounds, and five steals in the 124-117 victory over the Heat, Maxey and the Sixers improved to 33-26.
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