Each season, it seems Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey unlocks yet another level of play. From the 21st selection in the 2020 NBA Draft to a fringe MVP candidate this season, Maxey's improvements are now being recognized on a national stage, as evidenced by the first fan-voting results for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which were revealed Monday afternoon.
In a post listing 20 players in each conference who received the most votes, Tyrese Maxey ranked near the top of the Eastern Conference vote-getters, second only to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Eastern Conference is wounded, as both Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton are set to miss the majority of the season, if not the whole year. Still, Maxey's ascent is not simply due to their absence or the inconsistent availability of Joel Embiid for much of this season. In 28 games played, Maxey has averaged 30.7 points (third in the league), 6.9 assists (eighth in the East), and 1.5 steals per game (third in the East).
It's statistically unquestionable that Maxey is deserving of a spot on the All-Star team.
The fan vote for the NBA All-Star game is a popularity contest, but that arguably makes Maxey's placement more impressive. His resume speaks for itself. It's not surprising to see a player who leads their conference in scoring receive recognition, but what's particularly impressive is that Maxey not only received more votes than some of his Easter Conference compatriots, but also more votes than several notable, even legendary, NBA names.
With 1,072,449 votes, Maxey ranked above Steph Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell in the fan vote.
The next batch of fan-voting results for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be revealed on Monday, Jan. 6.
