Desmond Bane tried to punk Tyrese Maxey and got absolutely lit up instead

Every Sixers fan remembers the 2020 NBA Draft. Philly passed on Desmond Bane and a lot of people were pissed. Meanwhile, I was leading the Tyrese Maxey train before it even left the station and nights like this are exactly why.

Fast forward to 2025. Bane and Maxey, two players forever linked by the COVID draft, finally had a little moment of tension. Desmond Bane decided to knock Maxey over on a drive, got called for a foul, and then had the audacity to stand over him with a smirk.

Maxey wasn’t having it. He popped right back up, nose-to-nose, smiling but not backing down. Double technicals were handed out, and the Wells Fargo Center lost its damn mind when Bane picked up another foul moments later. You could feel the city rallying behind their guy.

Tyrese Maxey and Desmond Bane get chippy

Tyrese Maxey gets in Desmond Banes face for standing over him pic.twitter.com/9WttVGuwC6

— NBAbzy (@nbabzyy) October 28, 2025

The evolution of Tyrese Maxey is beautiful to watch. This isn’t the same smiling kid from his rookie season anymore. After going through the Sixers’ first true losing year of his career last season, Maxey’s got a different edge to him.

Kelly Oubre said it best, saying that Maxey’s been playing “angry.” Tyrese disagrees, but you can tell he understands where that’s coming from.

“I’m not angry, I’m happy,” Maxey said Monday night with a grin.
“But maybe I don’t smile as much anymore. I’m getting older, and I want us to be really good as a team. I know that starts with me.”

That’s leadership and honestly, not that it even matters, it feels like Tyrese Maxey is becoming the new face of the 76ers franchise.

Desmond Bane poked the bear

Desmond Bane wanted to play tough guy. That was a bad idea because right after that little dust-up, Maxey completely took over the game. The guy turned into a walking flamethrower and dropped 43 points to go along with eight assists, four rebounds, and one steal in a 136-124 win over the Magic.

Maxey, Edgecombe, and Oubre power the Sixers over Magic 136-124 >>

Tyrese Maxey torches Desmond Bane

@hurtz..szn Maxey dropped 40!! // #sixers #tyresemaxey #nba #basketball #fyp ♬ original sound – 𝕳𝖚𝖗𝖙𝖟

That’s after dropping 40 against Boston on the road in the season opener. Through three games, Maxey’s averaging video game numbers: 37 points per game, 4 rebounds, 7.7 assists. The Sixers are 3-0 and will be in D.C. tonight to play the Wizards.

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