Tobias Harris' time with the Sixers is over, but his impact lives beyond his stay in Philadelphia.
In the second year of his five-year pact with the Sixers, he welcomed a new teammate. A young pup from the draft class of 2020.
His name was Tyrese Maxey.
"He did a lot for me, man. He gave back to me every single day. He poured into me every single day since I got drafted," Maxey, now in his fifth year, told reporters at the second day of training camp in the Bahamas.
Maxey had talked to Harris, now with the Detroit Pistons, the night before. The veteran forward told Maxey to keep their tradition going.
"I've been talking to [Jared McCain] since he got drafted," Maxed said. "I'm just trying to give back as much as I can. I know I'm young still, but just trying to give back. Jared's a great kid. I'm a good kid, too, so...I know I'm young, but he's a good kid.
Perhaps it's taking young guys like McCain and rookie big Adem Bona out to dinner one night while the team was in the Bahamas.
Perhaps it's being the veteran who shows up to optional evening shootarounds with the younger players when he easily could've been enjoying all that Paradise Island had to offer instead.
However the various signs present themselves, Maxey is discovering his leadership style in the early-goings of this season, both on and off the hardwoods.
"It's a lot better. I remember when we first started playing games last year, I was like, 'Oh boy, we got a really long ways to go with his voice and leadership wise'. Well, I thought he grew really fast, like in six or eight weeks. So, I think he's assumed more of that," Nick Nurse recalled on the second day of training camp.
"Just, again, having pre-practice and post-practice pretty high-level conversations with him about what is happening, what needs to happen, and all those things."
Nurse wants Maxey to diagnose issues on the floor and prescribe a solution. He wants Maxey to be the medicine for the illness.
That's the exact way you'd expect the guy charged with developing the All-Star into a true point guard to think.
"Like, today [Oct. 2], I had a really long talk with him before practice about some things I saw yesterday that I needed to see differently, and he went out there and did them today, right?
"So, once again, just getting him to see and understand what the team needs and how he fits into the middle of all that or how does he grow up from the middle of all that," Nurse said.
It's a world of responsibility, being in the middle of it all.
It's also an honor. Maxey has earned his right to be at the Sixers' adults table.
"He's using that trust, that status to lead by example. Besides Joel [Embiid], I think I've been here the longest. So, I kind of know how things run around here...I like to win, man. I want to win. So, at the end of the day, I know how things work around here and I'm just trying to be more demanding, more determined and make them be more dominant," Maxey said.
He finds that his teammates understand his intentions. So, this transition has been easy.
"Extremely natural. I'm not forcing anything," Maxey said. "I think the guys know I want to win. I just want to win. It takes somebody to kind of take control of the team and be the leader of it. So, that's what I've been trying to do."
It didn't take long for Maxey's newest, shiniest teammate to recognize the leadership qualities he has.
"He's natural-born. He's natural-born," Paul George told reporters on the fourth day of training camp. "He's one of those guys that was meant to lead, regardless of his age, his size. He's one of those guys that was meant to lead. As a new guy coming in - I know I've been in the league for a while, but - I'm still going to take a step back and just kind of see the landscape of the team and how each guy operates."
"I've been very impressed with Tyrese, his approach. I've always said this since I first met him, he's well beyond his years with his maturity. And it's showing. He's special."
For Embiid, all it takes is a look, a quick, disapproving shot from the eyes to get the message across.
He recognizes - and appreciates - that Maxey's style is different than his.
"But, he's more always positive, always joking, laughing, talking, loud voice," Embiid said. "So, those are the qualities of someone that can do it on and off the court. We all lead in different ways. He has his ways of leading, which is great. And then when you combine that to my way, he makes a perfect match for both of us to do the same thing on and off the court."
Embiid sees the same growth from Maxey that Nurse does. The young guard's vocal style is the perfect contrast for the big fella's countenance-centric way of leading.
"He's grown a lot. You could tell, just being around. Especially, really, since last year. Taking more of the role to being a vocal leader and screaming. I'm not screaming. I just give you the look if I'm mad at you. But, he's going to talk, which is, like I said, a great match," Embiid said.
Maxey has his new maximum contract. But, complacency isn't in his blood.
By the time you read this, he'll probably be in a gym somewhere, preparing himself for practice with a smile across his face.
Lead photo via @sixers on X.
