Tyrese Maxey, a professional NBA player and guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, visited James Madison High School on Thursday to talk to the school’s basketball team about life after high school.
Maxey surprised the Madison Trojans, who won the UIL 3A Basketball State Championship in March, during their school day.
“It’s always cool to go back and talk to younger kids whenever you have the opportunity, and to try to be an inspiration when possible,” Maxey said. “I know that NBA players coming back and talking to me was a really good thing. So I try to do things like this as much as possible.”
Maxey is a 21-year-old Garland local who played his first season in the NBA last year. He talked about his career and his daily routine. He spoke about how he stays focused, and about the life transition that many graduating seniors face.
“The expectation level from high school to college is a huge jump,” Maxey said. “You have to be focused, you have to know your goals, you have to step in the right direction and be as sharp as possible. You have to keep up your grades and stay focused and stay sharp.”
In early March, The Great James Madison Trojans won the 3A state title game against San Antonio Cole, 53-51.
“I think it’s great that he visited our campus to talk to the young men and to give them some guidance,” said Principal Marian Willard. “Sometimes people forget about their communities, and while he’s not from South Dallas, the kids on this campus look like him. Here, we walk by faith and not by sight, and like Tyrese did, they can do anything that they want to if they set their minds to it and dream big to make it happen.”
