LeBron James isn’t waiting to get to work with his new teammates.
On Monday morning, basketball trainer Chris Johnson posted a slideshow of James and Tyrese Maxey working out together, which appears to be from a recent session.
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On Friday, it was announced that James would be signing a $4 million contract with the Sixers for this season, with a player option for the next. The move was officially announced by the Sixers Monday.
While James and Maxey will get to share the court this upcoming season, the two have a well-documented relationship off the court. The Kentucky alum is represented by Rich Paul, a longtime friend of James who built Klutch Sports agency with LeBron as his very first client. Since getting drafted in 2020, Maxey and James have worked out together on many occasions.
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James has also thrown significant praise the 25-year-old’s way.
“Every morning, 5 a.m., we’re in the gym, 5:30, whatever, in the gym. And you just see his dedication,” James said in January on the Mind the Game podcast, which he hosts alongside two-time MVP Steve Nash. “Shows up on time, on target, every single day. A guy who just loves the game and is taking full advantage of the opportunity in Philly.”
LeBron went from 5 AM summer workouts with Tyrese Maxey to being teammates on the Sixers 🤝
Watch @mindthegamepod on @primevideo, YouTube and everywhere podcasts are available 🍿 pic.twitter.com/WNAFKH7Eon
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) July 27, 2026
There’s plenty reason to believe that Maxey’s presence was a large factor in James signing in Philadelphia. At the onset of free agency, Paul sat with Max Kellerman on their Game Over podcast to break down James’ prospective landing spots across a whiteboard. With little information to go off, many fans heavily parsed every detail of the whiteboard for potential clues.
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What stood out most was that Tyrese Maxey was the only player to have a star next to his name.
Rich Paul says the Sixers have LeBron’s attention 👀
“How could not have the attention when you have Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, Embiid.” pic.twitter.com/Qeoek91vRP
— PHLY Sports (@PHLY_Sports) July 3, 2026
Maxey’s actions proved that James’ supposed desire to team up with the two-time All-Star was not one-sided. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Maxey and Joel Embiid were both instrumental in recruiting James.
Following the signing, Maxey took to TikTok to express his excitement. “I’m like Coach Cal,” the caption read, referring to longtime college head coach John Calipari, who recruited Maxey to Kentucky.