Tyrese Maxey refutes Stephen A. Smith
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The gist
76ers guard Tyrese Maxey denied ever visiting Doc Rivers' house after ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said he went there nearly in tears over James Harden.
The dispute follows a heated on-court clash between Maxey and his former teammate.
Background
Tyrese Maxey is a guard for the Philadelphia 76ers; James Harden is a former 76ers teammate described in the material as a future Hall of Famer and 2018 MVP, and Doc Rivers is the team's former head coach. The exchange came after Maxey and Harden went nose-to-nose in the 76ers' 114-106 comeback win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Smith, an ESPN commentator, then cited Harden's playoff effort in the 2023 Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the Boston Celtics as the root of lingering tension.
How it unfolded
- 2023Philadelphia lost its second-round playoff series to the Boston Celtics after leading 3-2; Harden scored nine points in the Game 7 loss in Boston.
- Oct 22, 2026Maxey and Harden exchanged shoves after Harden grabbed Maxey's jersey during the 76ers' 114-106 comeback win over the Cavaliers; Maxey scored 32 points, Harden 16.
- Oct 23, 2026On ESPN's First Take, Stephen A. Smith said Maxey once went to Doc Rivers' house nearly in tears over Harden's playoff effort.
- Oct 23, 2026Maxey posted on X: "Here yall go… I've never even been to DOC house."
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Stephen A. Smith presented the account as fact and said there is "residue" from Harden's playoff performance that Maxey won't admit to.
- Party
- Maxey flatly denied ever visiting Rivers' house, and the account that shared Smith's clip urged him to double-check his sources.
- Public
- Fans online voiced outrage over Smith presenting the unverified story as absolute fact on national television.
Still unverified
Smith presented as fact that Maxey went to Doc Rivers' house nearly in tears over Harden's effort; Maxey denied ever visiting Rivers' home, leaving the alleged meeting in dispute. Bolavip reports Smith claimed Maxey and Kyrie Irving visited Rivers' home together.