Tyrese Maxey Names NBA Toughest Defenders, Omits LeBron James

Philadelphia 76ers star guard Tyrese Maxey recently named the toughest NBA players to guard by position, highlighting elite talents like Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and his teammate Joel Embiid. Although Maxey trains regularly with LeBron James and admires his longevity and skill, he did not include James among the toughest players to defend, instead selecting Kevin Durant as the most difficult small forward to cover. Maxey emphasized the challenge of guarding Durant due to his height and skill, illustrating the difficulty defenders face against elite scorers. Entering the 2025-2026 NBA season, Maxey stressed the importance of health and team chemistry for the 76ers, acknowledging that injuries to key players Embiid and Paul George severely hampered their previous season's success. The star trio played only 15 games together last season, resulting in a disappointing 7-8 record when combined, and the team failed to make the Play-In Tournament. Maxey's focus for the upcoming season is to build continuity and chemistry to improve team performance rather than relying solely on talent.