Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers’ point guard, and his parents, Tyrone and Denyse Maxey, always knew his NBA dreams would come true. Tyrese was the first child between the couple, who raised four kids in Dallas, Texas.
Tyrone and Denyse had one daughter each from their previous relationship before they tied the knot.
The couple went on to have two kids, Tyrese and his little sister, Denasia Maxey.
The NBA star’s parents encouraged their kids to follow their dreams and supported Tyrese’s basketball career from day one.
And why wouldn’t they be? Maxey was too good from the get-go.
Tyrese helped his high school team, South Garland High School, win its first-ever Texas state high school tournament in 2018.
He almost left high school after sophomore year but stayed and won more accolades.
After his freshman year with Kentucky was interrupted, the young guard chose to enter the 2020 NBA Draft.
The 76ers drafted Tyrese at 21. Today, many consider it one of the best draft moves of 2020.
Maxey didn’t have the best start to his NBA career, averaging only eight points in his first season.
The numbers jumped significantly in his second year as he replaced Ben Simmons in the line-up. But the good days were yet to come for the young player.
Maxey started his 2023 season with a bang, scoring 31 points on the opening night against the Bucks.
Tyrese ended the season with an average of 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 1.0 steals.
He bagged the Most Improved Player accolade and made an All-Star appearance.
Despite acquiring Paul George during the off-season, the 76ers have had one of the worst starts in the league. But Maxey has tried his best to steady the ship at Philly.
Tyrese Maxey’s Mom, Denyse Maxey, Is Part Of The Tyrese Maxey Foundation
The NBA star Tyrese Maxey’s mother, Denyse Maxey, always told her son that if he had big dreams, she needed to act on them.
Along with her husband, Denyse would arrange family prayer, make their kids write down their goals, and put them where they could see them daily.
Since ninth grade, Tyrese would write: Get an offer from Kentucky basketball.
His parents’ teaching helped him achieve his goals, and today, he has become one of the most recognizable faces in the NBA.
Denyse graduated from Sam Houston State University and has had over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry.
She currently works as a Senior Regional Market for Blue Cross Blue Shield and is the Executive Director of the Tyrese Maxey Foundation.
The Tyrese Maxey Foundation is a faith-based non-profit organization that helps strengthen youth and communities with the skills and support needed to become next-generation leaders.
Denyse has also worked in the Consumer Market industry for 15 years and has vast marketing and community involvement skills.
In 2022, Denyse appeared on the YouTube channel Court-Side Moms, where she introduced herself and talked about her son’s basketball journey.
Speaking to Wendy Sparks, Denyse revealed she and her husband didn’t tell Maxey to offer letters while he was a sophomore in high school.
The couple wanted their son to focus on academics and getting into the college he wanted to go.
Denyse said she and Tyrone did that so their son wouldn’t get distracted and get too big-headed.
The proud mom said hearing Tyrese’s name getting called out on Draft Night was special, as helping Tyrese reach that level required sacrifices from the entire family.
Tyrese Maxey’s Dad, Tyrone Maxey, Is A Basketball Coach
Tyrone Maxey was his son’s primary basketball coach for the longest time.
Tyrone played basketball at Washington State for two seasons and graduated with a social science degree in 1992.
He spent 17 years as a high school basketball coach in the Dallas area before becoming the assistant basketball coach at South Garland School from 2014 to 2017.
In 2017, Tyrone accepted the role of Director of Recruiting at Southern Methodist University.
Speaking to the NBA website, Tyrone said he knew his son was born to handle the bright lights.
When Tyrese was a toddler, Tyrone would play an anthem song, and immediately, Tyrese would light up.
Tyrone began coaching Tyrese in second grade and knew his son had the potential to make it big when he reached the fifth grade.
In April 2024, Denyse and Tyrone handed their son the 2023-24 NBA Sportsmanship Award at their family home.
In the video, Tyrone presents the trophy to his son and asks him what the title means to him.
Tyrese, who clearly hadn’t prepared his speech, said he always tries to play hard on the court but holds respect towards his teammates and his competitors.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Tyrese Maxey’s younger sister, Denasia Maxey, plays volleyball for Dallas Christian High School.
- Tyrese Maxey grew up as a fan of basketball coach John Calipari when he served as the head coach of the University of Memphis.
