Tyrese Maxey’s All-Star SNUB is a joke—and if you’ve been paying attention, you know exactly why it happened

The 2025 NBA All-Star reserves were announced on Thursday night, and to the surprise of absolutely no one in Philadelphia, Tyrese Maxey was nowhere to be found.

No Joel Embiid this year due to injury, which meant Tyrese Maxey was the Sixers’ only real hope and it’s really hard to argue that he didn’t deserve it.

Maxey is putting up 27.1 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game while carrying a shorthanded Sixers team that’s been missing Embiid and Paul George for huge chunks of the season.

It’s like Tyrese Maxey doesn’t exist…lol

https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1885110200795095109

Maxey’s 2024-25 Stats vs. All-Star Guards

Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers) – SNUBBED

• 27.1 PPG | 6.0 APG | 3.5 RPG
• 44.9% FG | 34.0% 3PT | 86.5% FT
• Philadelphia 76ers Record: 19-27 (without Embiid and George for much of the season)

• Tyrese Maxey drops 43, Sixers handle Lakers without Embiid and George
• Tyrese Maxey drops casual 30-burger in 117-104 win over Kings

Men Lie. Women Lie. Numbers Don’t: Maxey vs All-Star Guards

Make no mistake: Tyrese Maxey put up All-Star numbers.

Through 46 games, Tyrese Maxey is averaging 27.1 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game, all while carrying a Philadelphia 76ers squad that again, has been missing Joel Embiid and Paul George for a major chunks of the season.

But somehow, the NBA decided that wasn’t enough while several guards who made the All-Star team have put up worse or comparable numbers:

• Jalen Brunson (Starter, Knicks): 26.4 PPG, 6.2 APG, 3.7 RPG
• Damian Lillard (Reserve, Bucks): 24.7 PPG, 6.6 APG, 4.1 RPG
• Tyrese Haliburton (Reserve, Pacers): 20.3 PPG, 11.1 APG, 3.9 RPG
• Darius Garland (Reserve, Cavaliers): 21.5 PPG, 5.5 APG, 2.8 RPG
• Tyler Herro (Reserve, Heat): 22.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 5.3 RPG

So let’s get this straight: Maxey is outscoring nearly every guard who made it and has shooting numbers on par with Brunson, Lillard, and Herro—but somehow, he gets left out?

At this point, it’s not about who deserves it—it’s about who the NBA wants in the game.

And clearly, they didn’t want Maxey.

The “Team Record” Excuse is Weak

One of the main arguments against Tyrese Maxey’s All-Star selection is the Philadelphia 76ers’ losing record (19-27). The narrative is simple: “Bad teams don’t get All-Stars.”

Except… that’s complete nonsense.

The NBA has never been consistent about this. If team success was the ultimate deciding factor, then explain why:

• Trae Young (2022 All-Star) made it while the Hawks were 26-29.
• Zach LaVine (2021 All-Star) got in with the Bulls sitting at 16-18.
• Bradley Beal (2021 All-Star) was a starter despite the Wizards being 14-20.

So why was it okay for those guys to make it, but Maxey’s 27.1 PPG on a struggling team suddenly isn’t enough? The NBA picks and chooses when record matters. This year, they decided it mattered for Maxey—but not for other borderline cases.

Given how the Sixers are typically treated by the league, much of their own doing by the way, I really don’t think team record is a valid excuse and honestly, I’m leaning more towards an agenda than anything else.

The Rare Few Who Missed Out at 27+ PPG

To fully grasp how ridiculous this snub is, let’s put it in historical perspective.

Over the last 10 seasons, only five players have averaged 27+ PPG and still been left off the All-Star team:

• Bradley Beal (2019-20): 30.5 PPG
• LaMelo Ball (2024-25): 28.2 PPG (also snubbed this year)
• Devin Booker (2022-23): 27.8 PPG
• Kyrie Irving (2019-20 & 2021-22): 27.4 PPG

And now, Tyrese Maxey joins that list. That’s it. That’s the company he’s in. Just five players in the past decade have put up these kinds of numbers and still been ignored.

This isn’t a typical snub. This is one of the worst All-Star snubs in modern NBA history.

This Should Light a Fire Under Maxey and the Sixers

If I’m Maxey, I’m taking this personally. If I’m Nick Nurse, I’m printing out the names of every guard who got in over him and taping them to his locker.

Maxey needs to be focused on making his case for an All-NBA selection and lead the 76ers back into the playoff race. Make sure the league has no choice but to recognize what’s happening in Philadelphia—because they clearly aren’t going to do it willingly.

Tyrese Maxey deserved to be an All-Star. The numbers prove it. The history proves it. The eye test proves it. And yet, the NBA chose to ignore him—just like they’ve ignored the Sixers time and time again.

Maxey isn’t just an All-Star—he’s a star, period. And soon enough, the rest of the league will have no choice but to acknowledge it.

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