76ers Tyrese Maxey wins 2024 NBA Sportsmanship Award - NBC Sports

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 2: Tyrese Maxey #0 greets teammates before the game against the New York Knicks during Round 1 Game 6 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on May 2, 2024 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

NBAE via Getty Images

It wasn’t a surprise when Tyrese Maxey was voted the NBA’s Most Improved Player.

For anyone who has spent time around him, this was less of a surprise: Maxey won the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award for 2024.

This award is voted on by the players (from a list of nominees put forward by teams and curated by a panel of league executives). The award “honors a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.” Maxey learned he won the award from his parents.

Tyrese Maxey’s parents surprised him with the Joe Dumars Trophy as winner of the 2023-24 NBA Sportsmanship Award! 🫶 pic.twitter.com/74psGFkUFY

— NBA (@NBA) May 16, 2024

Thrust into a larger role due to the James Harden situation, Maxey had a breakout season — averaging 25.9 points and 6.2 assists a game, both career highs — and was an All-Star for the first time. Through it all, Maxey never lost his relentlessly positive attitude.

Maxey is a restricted free agent this summer and will get a max contract from the Sixers.

Veteran Miami big man Kevin Love came in second in the voting, followed by the Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen, the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Kings’ Harrison Barnes, and the Spurs’ Tre Jones.