Welcome to The Big Niang Theory! On episode two, Georges Niang and Lauren Rosen go in-depth with Tyrese Maxey, following Tyrese's journey from Texas to Kentucky, the bench to the starting five, and beyond. From Tyrese's relationships with mentors Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid, to meeting his idol Dwyane Wade, to scoring on Georges as a rookie, get to know the second-year 76er on a new level.
Music courtesy of Christian Crosby.
Welcome to The Big Niang Theory is my podcast. Joel is a card shark, Danny gets swindled fashion. I just like stuff that looks great greatness just reads greatness, and we off fit right in. Welcome to another episode of The Big Niang Theory with George Niang featuring Lauren Rosen. Today we had a spectacular guest, Tyrese Maxie. I think he has great insight, you know, a great soul, and like we talked about on the podcast, he is just the most positive human being ever. And he kind of shared, you know, some great stories about his journey and where he's been and how it's affected him and his success going forward. And I think this was this is one of the best episodes that we've done yet. There's a lot of depth to Tyrease and I was really excited that he was willing to share that with us. I think the fact that he's been in the league for a year and he went from fighting for minutes and he I don't know if if he would say this or if he feels this way, but the way that I saw it during the playoffs, Yes, he won this team a playoff game last season, but no one was for sure, for sure that he was even in the playoff rotation. Yeah, and now again his first calendar year in the NBA, he's playing some of the heaviest minutes in the league. He is, He's been great. It's been unbelievable to watch, and I think this conversation helped us figure out how he got from point A to point B so seamlessly. It was a It was a great episode, and I'm glad that he got into depth and shared his journey with us. So if the people need a reason to listen, I'd say about two thirds of the way through, we get to your first meeting with Tyrese and that was really special to hear. I had no idea about that. It was lovely to listen to Tyrese Maxie. I believe has two lifelong fans. Absolutely me. Absolutely, Tyrese Maxie is a legend. So without further ado, here's Tyrese Maxie. Welcome to another episode of The Big Niang Theory today. I'm excited for our guests. A great person, a great player, Tyrese Maxie. Thanks for coming on. Thanks George, I appreciate you have me bro. Tyres what do you think of the name of the podcast. A great name, great name, great guy, Tyree. We're gonna break the break you in, UM a little bit about this podcast. You're gonna have to, you know, be yourself. Don't give us generic answers. We want the real Tyrese. People need to know about the real tyres I don't. I don't think I've ever gave generic answers. Okay, how about this. You can't give an answer that you've given before, no repeats. All right, got you fair enough? So let's just hop right into us. Tyrese. What I really wanted to ask you about is you went to Kentucky. You're from you know, Texas, Dallas, Texas, Garland, Garland, Garland, I'm sorry, which is a suburb of Dallas, Texas. You and Lauren have that connection Texas, UM, But you're not like the prototypical, you know, Kentucky guy like you. You're confident in your game, but there's not an arrogance about you that you know surrounds everything that you do where everything has to be done. Tyrese's way like being here, you know, I've come to see you be the humble but also confident guy that you are. Where where did you get that from you know, obviously, I know you have a super close relationship with your family, your uncle, your parents, but not everybody can handle all that fame, be one and done, be a first round pick, and still be humble enough, you know, to continue to grow and be confident at the same time. Uh yeah, I mean, like he said, my family background is probably the most important thing that you said there about being humble. Um, I was. I was humbled a lot as a as a youngster at the crib. My father was a he was a Division one basketball player. I mean he was he was what that was was technically in Dallas. He was. He was pretty big. You know. Everybody always told me that I would never be better than my dad. So it was like you're like watch me. Yeah, I mean you know, so I had that chip on my shoulder. Yeah, and I think I've always had this chip on my shoulder that I felt like I've always been overlooked, even though, like you said, one it does MC don't like all that, but on a national, national stage, like, I feel like I was always overlooked, Like it was always someone that was rank is on me anything now, but back in high school yeah, sometimes, so it was always someone that was ranked above me, that I felt like I would always, you know, play better than when I played against him when he was always Tyree is not going to be able to do this when he gets to this level, when he's not gonna be able to play at Kentucky or once he gets oh he went, he makes the lead, he's not gonna be able to stay like it was. It's always something and I always just I think I always keep this chip on my shoulder for the rest of my life trying to prove somebody wrong. And hey, shooting it's gotten you this far. I mean, so why I change anything? Like? I can respect that, not to say that our journeys are anything similar, but you know, I feel like I have the same trip on my shoulder, you know what I mean. I don't think there's ever been a day where we have a you know, an off day that you aren't in the gym, and that I feel like I view life in the game of basketball the same way. But adding on to that, what you know, what motivates you to be who you are, the fun loving guy, having all this energy and having a great attitude every day because lord knows, if they've followed your journey last year. It's not like you were starting playing consistent minutes. You have every reason to be like, hey, you know I was a first round pick. Why aren't I playing? Or why and I doing this? And you know that ever since I got here, I mean, you've had a ton of energy and even last year you would people are like, yeah, Tyrese Maxie has never had a bad day. What motivates you to be that person? And how do you view your life and your career that makes you just see everything in such a positive light? I think, well, first of all, in my opinion, if you go through life, you're gonna have bad days. So my biggest thing is I never want I never want to bring anybody else down, like if I'm having a bad day or like you said, like it was games last year that I didn't play. I think I only played in which is like new for you because I mean when you're at McDonald's American one and done, Like when has it ever been a time where someone has told Trreson I said, hey, like, we just don't know if you're good enough to play tonight. Yeah, like you like you know, like you're not getting in Yeah, So like I mean you know, and of course it hurt me. It hurt me to me, but I never wanted it to be like where I brought my energy was the one that was bringing back the team energy down, so like I was always within the das still like to win. So I mean, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to help my team win. And at the time with those games, and you know that time was cheering on guys and trying to help in that way, and then that's what I did. And I just think you know the way I acted because I get to play basketball for a living and I can do it I love every single day and I can try to get better, better, better every day and and do what you love and do it I love, I get I get to have fun doing it. Tyrise, did you avoid saying that you are trying to get one better every day? Because I told you? But that's a people like like I was saying that saying and I said it here and someone's like Tyrese max each other. But when someone tells you that, and like when they're like doing a motivational speaker here and you're you really are like, yeah, like if I wake up every day and get one percent better. In three hundred and sixty five days, I'll be three hundred and sixty five percent better. And I'm like, dang, I'll be a lot better than what I was today. Like that's a perfect way to look at like you're shooting out of target. I'm telling you. I remember the first time my dad said it to me. He was like, man, you're gonna find a way to keep being better, like one percent better every day. I'm sitting there as a kid, like I think it was like eighth grade, I'm like one person sent like what is that going to do for me? And then like down the road, as you get you know, you get more knowledgeable, and you know, you go through life, you start thinking like, man, he's right, like like this summer, like I really had to like really had to go, like I was going to get better every single day this summer, Every every single day didn't matter if I didn't step on the court, Like on a Saturday in La, I found a way, watched thirty minutes of film or do something to find a way to get myself better at basketball, and then just that life in general. Yeah, I mean I feel like for you, it's almost like you had the feel like we just talked about you had the feeling of being humbled by being told like you weren't good enough to play or you're not going to play, and you were like, I'm never gonna have that feeling again, which drinks me to my next question. What was your moment that was like welcome to the NBA, Like what moment was that where you're like, dang, Like whether it was something like stealing the ball for you or you going to laying it up on someone, Like what was the moment you're like, yeah, I'm here or dang, I didn't know it was gonna be. That's difficult. I think, Um, first game last year, I got in in like first quarter, Like the very first game. I got in first quarter like two minutes ago. And of course it's my first time ever come out. We're not gonna first time ever come out the bench, come out the bench three games in Kentucky. But like you know, once you come like in college, you come out the bench, you kind of ease into the game. That makes sense, Like, so I get in the game and I'm no, no no, I'm thinking like I could ease myself into the game. Man Smith comes in the game, same time, as me. So the whole day shoot around Danny green Shack. Everybody's telling me, hey man, it's schmip man. He got a quick crossover. Just think about it, like left to right man, left right man. So I'm like, Smith, not gonna get mad man, I promise you. The very first play I got, in very first play, I guide it. He's coming out extremely slow with his left hand. I'm like, I'm just sitting there, pure lay up. I said, Oh, they weren't lying this. It happened so fast and it was like, well now I'm in the Yeah. So I think that was That was the moment. I remember that moment too, because your eyes sort of did a like like I watched you realize what had just happened. Because in my role, that's one of my favorite things to watch. It's big moments for you guys, and like watching how you play your first possession, watching how you played your first possession when we played against Utah, those are the moments that I'm looking at. Um. I appreciate that, humble welcome to the NBA moment. But can you tell us about when you guys played Denver last year with seven players and Tyrese went on to score thirty nine points nearly beat a very healthy Denver team with seven players. What was that day like for you? That was kind of like your coming out party, right, because I mean you were playing, but it wasn't. They weren't like this kid can go like anybody that can score thirty plus points in the NBA game. That's impressive, mind you, I've never done it, but I'm stilling people really really noticed. Yeah, of course, very impressive. George K. Georgie. I mean, hey, you know, stop that and the questions about you. But no, but like that was your your coming out you know, Yeah, I mean that was That was a strange couple of days though, I mean especially because of you know, the pandemic and different things like that. So we'd had no idea who were playing or not playing, or who was playing who was not playing. I just remember walking into the to the I mean to the arena, and Joe Will stopped me and then He's saying, um, can you get forty tonight? And I was like, and I'm thinking, I'm just think about it in my head. I played the most I played in the game so far as maybe eighteen minutes, probably shot the ball six Yeah, at the most eight times. So like, I'm like, it's almost impossible for me to get He was like like, I'm see, you can get forty tonight. So then I'm like okay. So then we go through gets to locker room and I see who's in there and we only had seven players, and I was like, Oh, it's my time. This is what he meant about. So I meant that at that moment. I was just I was like, at the at the end of the day, it's a competition, So like, no matter who's on the floor, you still want to try to win. And that's really all I wanted to go out there and do it give us the best shot to win. And I just went out there and competed extremely hard, and you know, the rest is kind of history. Speak on that because I'm a big, you know, believer, and you know, when you have opportunity, you can show everything that you worked on. And I mean, I feel like you're your career has has kind of been that that type of way. I mean, you take advantage of every opportunity. Like last year you were lucky enough to not have COVID and be able to play in those games, and that's been huge for your development. But people wouldn't know that if you weren't given the opportunity, so speak on, you know, just being able to maximize those opportunities and not looking at those opportunities as too big of opportunities where you're like, oh my god, I gotta try and score forty. Because most people freak themselves out and don't allow themselves to show how great they are when these opportunities passed by. And I hate to use this language, but kind of screw themselves out of showing their potential by looking at an opportunity or a moment like it's too big, right, I think I'll just talking about the moment. My biggest thing is, you know, if you can prepare when no one else is around, you'll shine when there's thousands in the crowd. I think that's another one. The saying that my pops told me when I was younger about just getting into the gym, being the work in the workhorse and just doing different things like that, and like I never understood when I was like eight years old, he was I just wanted to play basketball, So I just wanted to go out there and play have fun. And he pulled me to the side and asked me who my favorite player was, and I told him it was the way Wade. He was like, well, to catch up to the Wayne Wade, to be as good as the Way Waite is, you got to work on your game, like you can't just go out here, you know, at practice and play and and that be it. So I think just I lived in a moment like that. So I worked so hard that when it was, you know, when I got an opportunity, I was confident and I wasn't. I wasn't scared, I wasn't nervous. I wasn't. I just I just played. Yeah, what's what's done in the dark? Well, showing the light and showing the light there it is. Have you met Dwayne Wade yet? Yes? I did. Yeah. Uh it's crazy, like I hate I never met him before. I did, like this commitment video going to Kentucky and it was kind of I mean, it went it was cool on Twitter or whatever. Yeah, we know how you high school kids get. Yeah, you know what I'm exciting, but you're twenty one now, yeah but grown up, Yeah you feel the whole growing up. But uh but yeah he uh he quote twitted it like before I met him or anything. He quotes like, no, I guess I never met him, never talked to him. My favorite player ever, he quote tweeted. I was like, that's how you make an announcement, young man. I was like, I was freaking out. Please tell me. You were like sending it to all Everybody's like, yo yo, immediately you see this shot straight to the group chat, straight to my mom, I like. And then so a couple of weeks later, after I had committed, his son, Zaire plays ybl as well. So he was at the y BO session and he was with his security. So he's walking out the building and I had just got done playing. So I'm like. My teammates like, hey, more, you gotta go up to him and say, you know, congrat like thank you. So I'm like, all right, cool, you're right. So it looks crazy because he's walking out of the building with his security going, so everybody they stopped me like, and I was like, I just want to tell him. I just wanted to tell him thank you, and turns around and realizes that it was me. It's like, oh man, you make congratulation and then it's crazy because you know, now I see him in LA when I go work out because his son works out with Chris Johnson as well. Yeah, and uh, I mean he's been great. He's always cool and um, you know, he's just another mentor. Now. From what I've seen with your growth off the court has definitely been your fashion. You have a little swag. When did you get into fashion? What are some of your favorite pieces? What do you like to wear? I know you have expensive taste, so you know what, We're not gonna get into that expensive taste today. So you had on some Travis Scott once at top. Anyways, fashion, I mean, I don't think I'm the biggest fashion guy. I think I just like stuff that looks good, if that makes sense, Like if I see something on Instagram or something like that and I'm like, hey, I'm gonna try that. I don't think I'll ever be one that gets the stylist or anything like that, because I think me and my uncle kind of do it on our owns. It's like a fun thing that we do put in the outfits together for road trips and four games and stuff like that. So so when the road trip comes, like because that's the one thing that I have a problem with is I would wait to pack to like the last minute. So actually on road trips, you're like, all right, I'm gonna have this fit, this fit, this fit. You don't just go like I'm gonna bring these four pairs of jeans, these five hoodies or shirt. No. I actually like so like the day before we had this trip, I was up to like three o'clock in the morning, like deciding, oh, so this is time and effort into this. I mean I was, I mean, I just I can't put like you say, put three pair of jeans in and put two ft because I have my shoes. I got it. Yeah, that's true. You don't want to bring seven pairs of shoes, and it's I don't want to. You don't want to do that, but that's what you do. Yes, Harris. How many pairs of shoes would you bring on this trip? How many days are we here? How many games we have? Six games? Six games? I probably have I have five pair of basketball shoes and eight hair of normal shoes. Hey, I respect it, look good, feel good, play and kid, whatever you doing, continue to do that will do. George, I'm gonna ask you a question, and it's tough because this is an audio medium, but I want you to describe what you see and then tell us what you think about it. Do you know what I'm gonna show them? Oh, what I see right now is Tyrese in a in an outfit that I would say looks like um cow skin. But the fact that you could pull it off then, and you know what I can respect is that a lot of young fellows will wear socks with this outfit, like high socks and not care. But you have the low the low cuts. It's snowing out in the peacoat. That's class right there, my man. So I can I can respect the drip as the young ones would say. It's so. For context, if you're listening to this February nineteenth, twenty twenty on Tyrese's Instagram, follow him if you're not already, and check out that outfit because I told Terrise during the preseason that in my three years three years with the Sixers, this is my favorite outfit that I've ever seen on anyone, really, And just the way he pulled up with the snow in the background, with the car, it all works so perfectly. Terrese, why don't you tell George the story that you told me about how you picked this outfit out, like how you came to end up wearing such an exuberant outfit. Well, first of all, shout out to Alex for the picture. I mean, it wouldn't have been the outfit would have meant nothing, honestly if he didn't The details of the picture was Wasn't it great? The story is funny. I mean they they sent me sent me a little set and as soon as I opened, I'm like, there's not a chance I'm playing on this. Like I looked at it and I just like I threw it to the side. I was like, it's not a chance this is going on my body. And then like I forgot I would have. But I came back home and I was like, let me just try it now. I tried it on and then I was like, I saw I had the coat him right in my closet, and I'm like, I can't just wear the you know what I'm saying. I can't just wear the suit because it's like too much. Yeah. Now, I was like, let me just throw this coat on and see what and she was just talking about and I went in and show my uncle. He was like he's like, yeah, nephew, Yeah, he was like, yeah, that's that's fit. And then so it just happened to be snowing. I don't think I'll look to see that I just got lucky in that aspect, but yeah, that's the story to fit. I feel like this this locker room we have here, as everybody has nice things like that's kind of like the thing in the NBA. Whether you're getting it for free or you're buying it or overpaying for or stylist has it, nobody will ever know. But we have a locker room that if you come in wearing something nice, you will get a comment from Tyrese or Shake or from me. You're like, oh, I thought I smelled money. It's just like a common thing. So there's sometimes where like if we have like a Monday night game, I'll be like, you know what, I'm gonnaware of sweats today because I don't want to hear Tyrese be like dang on on Monday. That much money on on Monday. I think about it every time. It's funny like you started doing it like without even hearing me and Shake do it. But like last year, me and Shake would do it to each other. It's like every game, no matter what was on, Like it's just every time you see each other, it would just be going, oh man, you got money. Then you come in and you said it like literally like the first day, we all fit we all fit right in. Yeah, it's beautiful effect. Something that I've noticed over the last couple of weeks. Other players in the league are really taking notice that you've grown into this person that's well starting, playing heavy minutes, but also super talented. And I've enjoyed watching All Stars, future Hall of famers sort of watch you. What's it been like to talk to them then, like at the end of the game, who has stuck out to you as as people that have come up to show a little bit of respect to you, And how does that feel as a young guy? I mean, it's great, it's great, and uh, it's it's a it's a testimony to the league's brotherhood and like, um, how do I explain this? It's it's people probably think that in a we don't like each other at different things like that, but we're competitive. We're competitive at the end of the day, but we're still friends. We're still cordial with each other for the most part. Um, and it's been great. I mean playing in Utah play against Donovan Mitchell and uh and I talked to him after the game. Right to the game, he saw me getting the tunnel, stops me and gives me advice, like you know, I mean, he's an All Star, you know, so it's for him to take his time, take time out of his day to you know, give me advice and and just tell me to keep going and keep doing what I'm doing. And you really have to appreciate things like that, I think. And it's still and then you got guys like Fred Bleat who helps me, well, he still humbles me when he comes up to me. He literally walks up to me. You know, I think I was playing pretty well in the game. Walks up to me and then looks at the ref and says, this guy right here, you keep getting This guy calls I'm like, dang, I didn't even call about my name. And then I pull him to the side last score. I'm like, I'm like, dang, bro, you don't know my name. He's like, of course I know your name. Man, I just had to you know, come on, man, You're like, we're competitive at the end of the day. Say we're gonna talk after the game. Now, I was like, all right, cool, it's a testament to who you are though too, Like, I know you talk about the brotherhood and that's something that George, You've talked about a lot as well, and I've seen. But I also think that you're a really kind and welcoming human and so I think that older guys in the league are attracted to that type of spirit and want to help you along. So don't undersell yourself there. I wouldn't. I wouldn't say when I first talked to tyrese in in the league, I wanted to help him along. I remember I was we were in Utah and he was playing, and I feel like, I tell him the story all the time. Is h So He's shooting the floater in the middle of the game and I'm like, oh, ain't no way that's going in and I think he makes it and he was like you've been ask somebody or something something something along those lines, And I was like, what did he just say? Like, And so in my mind I'm thinking like, all right, like we're trying to get a win, like this is a big game for us, and let me say something to this rookie and see like if he loses his head like misses it and then tries to keep on shooting it, keep on shooting it. And so he made like another one and then turned and looked at me as he ran up and down the court, and I remember there was a free throw and I asked him. I was like, Yo, so you got that floater in your game? And he's like, yeah, you best believe I got that float in my game. And it was kind of like one of those moments where like I kind of got like trumped out because it was like I tried to play him by getting him to shoot a shot that I thought he couldn't make, and then he proved to me like three or four times, like you know, I can make that. So then I was like, all right, let me just shut up before he before he starts going on for like forty against us. But like speaking on the brotherhood, I think greatness just breeds greatness, and you can continue to speak on this, Like I think we're all fans of the game, like we all live, breathe, you know, speak basketball, so that when we see great basketball or good people playing at a high level, we like to acknowledge that. I feel like that's I'm sure you've seen that, because I don't know if you know this, but mostly in people that have had successful rookie years struggle in their sophomore years, like there's that hump that they have to get over it, and you've kind of just taken it all full stride. I mean, you may have struggled the first forty one games of your rookie year, but you know, I mean, I think since then, you've shown people like, hey, like I probably should have been drafted higher, and I'm trying to be like I feel like that's the mentality that I see from you every days. I'm trying to prove to everybody that I should have been like the number one pick without like what we talked about earlier, without and like that arrogant, like painting that ass type of guy. That's that's right, that like I tell my mom my dad every day, like I feel like I got overlooked and the draft class like it was people were talking about me as if like I felt like I was a nobody again. So it made me feel some type of way, and I knew I had had a checklist. He did the dreamark You're gonna sit here and tell me five years from now, you're gonna know everybody that was drafted before you. I can't tell you I know everybody. I know him now of course, but like his hasn't been a year, so I still know them. But it's certain guys on the list that oh yeah, circles. It has to you know what I'm saying. So, yeah, the job has to get done. I mean, it has to get done. And and that's not and that's not and nothing personal response, like I some of those guys I love, I mean, but it has to get done. That's just I mean, you know, that's the competitive nature and myself, I mean, it is what it is now. Lauren, we didn't even talk about, like your season ended at Kentucky because of COVID, and then you probably had the longest pre draft out of any ever preseason. Yeah, like you didn't play summer league, Like what the heck was that? Like it was crazy, and didn't throw on top of that because you didn't know when the draft was gonna be. You were like, it's June, No, it's September no, like when we started. And then you then you had a whole year with no fans. Yeah for them was far. Yeah, I mean just think about like I'll put it in perspective. We win that SEC, all right, so now we're like, okay, we're a two s in the tournament. Yea. So now let's just think about it. In the tournament, everybody you win everybody's draft, right right. So now it's like COVID boom, no tournament, all right, cool boom. We don't know when the draft is, so I'm working out from I started working out what so we took a couple of weeks off because of COVID. Didn't want to go to any ja. So started probably like April. I worked out six months, yeah, April, all the way up to the day before the draft. Get drafted, get tested to go, get ready to leave to go to Philadelphia. Have co has COVID. Miss is the first week of training camp, come in. I only practiced the last three days or two days on the practice last two days and like so I'm you know, coach Burke, So I'm behind on every defensive side. I don't know because when you know when the last two days of training camp, you're just playing at this point like you're not. It's a drill, drill five on five for an hour and then you're you know, you're going home. So I'm getting thrown in and five on five. Luckily I had a good day. Your instinct, I have a good day. I have a good day. And then um and I started playing from there. So it was it was really crazy, like I and then there was no fans. It was it was so much that I'm just blessed. I think before we lead into our last segment, just speak on like the speed of the game, because normally guys have you know, preseason and you know, they have summer league and you know a little bit of time working out with guys and playing against other NBA players and pick up over the over the summer before they get ready for their rookie season. Just speak on the change of pace, the terminology um leading up from college to I mean, you had to grow. The change of pace from high school to college is big, but it's really big from college to the NBA and you only had one year to learn in college. So just speak on what that was like. I mean, it's different, like you said, I mean the first the first game of my NBA career, I was I got in the fourth quarter of preseason game. Yeah, and uh, you know, coach dog Coase Sam said, or you got in the last twelve minutes. I think within the first two and al half minutes, I was exhausted. It was just everything was flying around, mouth just getting dry. I'm like, oh my god, but it's I had to adjust quickly because I mean, I don't I mean, my expectations weren't extremely high because we go to the championship team. But I got thrown into the fire to where I was in some rotation minutes early, and you know, it just it just made me, you know, have an outlook on life and just show how blessed I was. And I appreciate that the coach, Doc and the team and everybody really kind of embraced me, and it really helped me and trusted me, and I just tried to give them all every single time. We've spoken remarkably little about this season and what you've been able to do now, And I'm curious about spending last year mostly on the bench, not knowing on any given night whether you'd even get into the game. Less than a year from getting drafted, you're starting every game. You're playing more minutes than almost every player in the NBA at this point, obviously due to some of the shorthandedness that you guys have had, but you're certainly not wondering whether or not you're gonna play. What are the biggest differences in your life now versus when you got in in the first quarter and got crossed up by It's Smith last year? Surprisingly, nothing like the approach to the game. It's not different at all, because I think I'm gonna say this to a story that had him told most people like halfway through my rookie year, and I went through a stretch. This is probably the worst stretch. But I went through a stretch of two weeks. I played only at the end of the game, like like I was not in any shoot rounds and nothing, like I knew for a fact going into the game I'm not playing. And then, you know, after these two weeks, Coach Doc called me to his office and he asked me, like, why aren't you playing? And you know, I mean, I'm like, well, you're the coach. I don't know, what do you mean. I can't sell myself in that was what I was supposed to do. So I'm like, I said, I don't know, and then he broke it down to me and I just really appreciated him for that, because at the time I truly didn't know. And then he broke down what he needed me, what he needed from me, and he told me at that time, he said, You're gonna win a playoff game for us this year, and I'm like, how am I gonna win a playoff game because I'm not even playing. I don't play, I don't like, I don't get it. And then from there on after he told me what he needed from me, what the team needed from me, I just kind of like I went out there and did every single night and it was like, you know, it was just amazing. And like I would tell everybody, I appreciate Coach Doc, coach Sam, coach Broke for no just that experience, and I think I'll always be humble for it. Yeah. It's almost like you have those moments in the NBA where like a coach where you could be at like the lowest of low, but the coach says like the littlest thing to you and you're like, dang, Like that gave me the confidence that I needed to make it through like my rookie year I was in Indiana and then our coach now was my coach then, and I remember we were watching film and there was no chance I was playing, Like if you look at my stats in my rookie year, I never played. But he told me something. He was like, you know, you work hard, you have great spirit, and I think you're an NBA player. And I remember all the times that I was, you know, grinding and try to get back into the NBA. I just remember going back to him and I'd text him every once in a while, even when he wasn't my coach, and being like, you know when you said that, like that really that really stuck with me. And that's funny because that story about Doc is gonna stick with you forever, and you're gonna have a long, successful career, you know. And those are the moments that you know, coaches don't even realize that stick with you forever. And that's what kind of makes the brotherhood and the game of basketball so special, is that you can share moments like that. That's in a lot of careers. Though like that is true, it's cheesy, but people even in my line of work talk about how like I was told no so many times before I got this job, and the idea that first of all the more times willing to be told no. Lots of other people are being told no and they're quitting. So if you're willing to work through the nose to get to the yeses, that's how you end up successful. And it only takes one person to say yes, to believe in you, to want to give you a shot, and it can change everything. And I think that that's like very universal survived the longest survival of the fittest. Who can was stand the most crap for the longest exactly? I have one more question for you, Tyres about this season. It's something that Doc has talked about a lot, but I don't know if you've talked about it as much. I think there's not necessarily a concern, but an awareness of the fact that you have so many voices in your head and it's like between my god, my god, no. But seriously, like I watch you in a time out, right, there's the beginning phase of the time out where you guys go to the bench and the coaches talk and then there's like three people your teammate's usually talking you then and then Doc comes over with the coaches and then they are all talking to you and then you're going out of the huddle and then it's George or it's Seth or it's someone and they're talking you. And that's all in like a ninety second period of time. Right, How you take all that information in in a way that's productive and not overwhelming, because I would be so mad. I would not be able to handle it. And I really respect the fact that you. Tyrese says, you know, he doesn't have any anger management issues. He takes deep breaths. He I think he meditates before No. But seriously, I mean, I, oh, it's crazy to you, but what would you do? I mean, I would lose my mind. I think I was telling someone on the media the other day. I was like, Tyrese does not get any grace none, zero, Like when we come to the bench, someone else could have messed up and someone is like Tyrese like, and I always try to tell him. And I'm not tooting my own horn because I've been there's been games where I've been like, what are you doing? Like da da da da, But I've always I always try to tell you and as like, you know, just play your game, like you know how to play basketball, you know what you're doing like just play your game. But on the other side of it, I'm like, man, that is a lot to take it for a twenty one year old kid, for sure. No, I mean George may say that, but he kept me sane and a couple and like early early in the year, like because early in the year, you going through a change right now, so it's just a little different. And and you know, my role, like you said, it's been different this year, So it's been changed for me. And like I've always said, I'm gonna work extremely hard to figure it out. But it was so many voices, like it was it was every play and then back even back then I was still playing thirty minutes, but it was literally every single play like I was, I was second guesting myself as the first time in my life I've every second guest myself. So then it was like George came up to me after George and Tobias, they both came up to me after I think it may have been Oklahoma City game and I half time Oklahoma City game, and like George was talking to me, but like, oh, he was just like like looking straight and you know when you're like talking to someone and you're like trying to give them like advice, and I was like, I think he needs to know, like he just needs to be himself. But the way Tyrese was looking, like if he was a disrespectful, like human being, he would have been like looked at me and been like, can you just shut up? Like it was like he had his brain had had enough of like people trying to help him that. So so after I've done saying it, he didn't say anything. I tell him. I was like, you got it? He was like yep, And I was like, in my head, I questioned myself, I'm like should I should I be like shutting up right now? But like I feel like this kid like needs to hear this, because like I don't want him going out there being like they just told me to do this and now they're telling me I'm not doing this right. It's like I didn't want him to come to the bench and be like it's always something because that's the world I've I've been there before and that's the worst place to be as a player. And I hate to break it to everybody, but we we need Tyrese to win. So I wanted him to feel like he was in the right mind for wait, what did Tobias say or he and all this? And then after George, which George is always great. They been doing this sense in a started even before I get Tobias and Joel. George came up to me in training camp and was giving me anybody, I don't know George, I don't know. I mean i've I've only known George for three days now, so like and for him to come up to me, I could tell like, Okay, this dude, you know, you know, he he cares, he really cares. And I really admired that because I care, and you could tell them that he wants to win and I want to win as well. So right then and there, when I when I when he came up to me talking to me, I think that kind of built our friendship thing. Like I knew that he, you know, he cared and he wanted the best for me, and he wanted the best for the team. But back to Tobias and Joe World actually came up to me and Joe Wall told me Joe Wall said, that's halftime. No, no, this is after the game. Okay, George's halftime. It after the game. Okay, see Joe World comes up to me and says, um, he said, Tyrese, I knew you go out there and be Tyres. And I was like, how am I supposed to do that? Joel? He said, I should you go out there and be Tires. Don't don't think about everybody. Everybody's gonna scream and yell let it go. Anyone are out the other. You know what you can do. You work out every single day. And this is Joel and think about this Joel and be talking to you. Probably should could have won MVP last year. So I'm like, that gives you confidence in yourself, Like, okay, Joel believes in me. Cool. Right after, Joe Will comes up to me and says that literally we're all on the on the plane where we're going, Tobias, that's the same thing. So Terris, I need you to go out there and be Tyres. That's the only way it's going to help us to help us win. I'm like, so then I'm like, okay, I would go out there and be Tyres then and then and uh, the voices are the voices are still there, but like, and I appreciate everyone who tries to help me. And I one thing, Tobias told me. The last thing I'll say is he said, you take what they say and you apply it the way you can. You don't go out there and do it like exactly what you said tell you to do, because then you come a robot. You don't become you stop being Tyrese. You go out there and you try to apply it to the way that you know what to do. You play basketball in your life. And you know those those three people, George, Tobias and Joel Once. You know, after that game, I really realized. I was like, Okay, I understand where they're coming from now. And the coaching staff still on me, and I really appreciate them for that. But you know, my teammates, my brothers day really helped me get through this. And now I just try to help them every single night as much as I can. Yeah, just hey, just keep putting that ball in the basket, man, help us win games. Should we move on to the last segment of the podcast, It's called Dear Dear Myself. So if you could write a letter to Tyrese Maxie probably five ten years ago, and if you give yourself some advice the young Tyrese, what would it be and about your journey, the struggles, you know, the good time. What advice would you give a young tyrese So five years ago, I'll say six years ago. Six years ago, I got hurt my freshman year of high school. I broke my fibula and dislocated my ankle. And this has come after I was starting my freshman year of high school. We went from being unranked to to top five in the state. So we won our first nine games. So I would tell myself, UM, stay with it. And it was times where you didn't know if you will ever be the same. You know, the rehab was tough. UM. Once you finally started playing again, you didn't feel like you could move as fast, jump as high, UM, and you questioned yourself a lot. But if you as long as you just keep staying with it, as long as you keep I'm gonna saying right now, it just keep getting one percent better every single as long as you keep believing yourself, keep believing in God, keep it even then, UM, you know your family, that your support group, then everything's gonna be okay. As long as you keep being humble and being a person that you are, never change who you are. UM, always try to be kind always come in every single day with a smile in your face and try to brighten everybody else's day. And then you go out there and you could be extremely hard and do what you love to do. And that's what I would tell myself. I like that. I like that. That was beautiful. Well, Tyrese, we had an awesome time, you know, chatting with you on the Big Niang Theory. So thank you, thank you, thank you for stopping by. You're not supposed to laugh. This is my podcast. I'm sorry, but thank you for stopping by. We had a blast, seriously, especially now that you're so big time. Like a year ago, securing Tyrese for a podcast would not have been a problem, but now he's like playing like an all star. I can't believe we booked him right, it would never be a problem for me. Frozen and the minivan the print of Room Room, Throom, Thanks tires. Yeah, we know what up.