Jalen Brunson Breaks Silence on Tyrese Maxey Rivalry During Playoffs Battle vs 76ers

During the 2024 postseason, Jalen Brunson ignited new rivalries. The most notable one was with the Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers and New York Knicks locked horns in the first-round series and the NBA world can’t imagine more drama. Right from clutch moments to player rivalries, the series had everything and ended with the Knicks taking home the series. Weeks later, the Knicks guard opened up about his beef with Maxey.

Tyrese Maxey, the rising superstar of the Philly side, comfortably replaced James Harden‘s void in the season. He helped the Sixers’ cause along with Joel Embiid to take the team to playoffs. The 23-year-old guard not only showed his prowess on the floor but also sprinkled early signs of aggression. As a result, he got heated with Jalen Brunson throughout the series.

Speaking of the rivalry in the latest interview with the Bleacher Report, Brunson broke the silence on his equation with Maxey. JB clarified that he didn’t speak to the Sixers star “at all” throughout. Later he added, “Maybe two sentences.” Notably, in the same interview, he also revealed he didn’t talk to “Ty” despite being friends throughout the series.

Importantly, the NBA world witnessed the first signs of rivalry in Game 5. During a play, both stars got tangled up near the three-point line and Brunson ended up crashing down on the floor. When Maxey reached his hand out to lift the guard, JB refused it. Apart from that, the duo had instances of aggressive celebrations.

However, the Knicks took home the series and advanced to the Conference semi-finals. But, Brunson is yet to clear whether he broke his silence with Maxey, as he confirmed that he barely spoke anything to him throughout the series. Moreover, if JB hadn’t spoken to Maxey yet, then fans can expect a cracker of a rivalry in the upcoming season.

Did Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson have the rivalry brewing for a long time?

If not for the Sixers star, Jalen Brunson had tried to ignite the fire before. During the All-Star break, JB tried to set the Philly fans against their own star. During the All-Star practice, well aware of the social media team’s camera’s proximity, Brunson asked Tyrese, “Are you a (Philadelphia) Eagles fan?” 

When Maxey attempted to avoid the question, saying, “We are about to go out, ” Brunson cut in saying, “Y’all love him — and he doesn’t love the Eagles.” 

This could be counted as a friendly dig where it showed their friendship rather than their animosity. At the same time, Brunson identified Maxey’s potential way before he made it big in the NBA world. During a 2022-23 regular season game against the Sixers and Knicks, Maxey led the team in the absence of Harden and Embiid. He dropped 31 points and almost took the team past the finish line.

Speaking of his performance, Brunson said, “Everything… He’s the real deal. He’s only gotten better and better every year..a special player and I don’t see him slowing down any time soon.” Rightly, he went on to win the Most Improved Player Award in the 2023-24 season.

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