Following the news that Joel Embiid will be out for at least the next month, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in a rough patch. That said, there still is one positive storyline around the team. That being Tyrese Maxey, who was recently named to his first All-Star team.

Maxey’s development has been on the fast track the past few seasons, and the young guard has taken a big step forward this year. With James Harden out of the picture, he has assumed the role of being the No. 2 option behind Embiid on a nightly basis.

With his expanded role, Maxey is putting up averages of 25.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 6.4 APG. For a while, many debated that he was deserving of being a starter for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star game. Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard claimed those spots, but Maxey was later named as a reserve

As Maxey gets ready for his first All-Star weekend, he recently received a special gift. In practice earlier this week, head coach Nick Nurse gave him a custom WWE championship belt.

Along with partaking in the All-Star game itself, Maxey is also competing the night before. Earlier this week, news broke that he’ll also be in the three-point competition. Maxey is currently shooting 38% from deep on over eight attempts per game. Some of the players he’ll be going up against include Donovan Mitchell, Lauri Markkanen, and Jalen Brunson.

Since Embiid is sidelined at the moment, Maxey is tasked with leading the charge for the Sixers. He’s had some standout performances, including erupting for a season-high 51 points in a win over the Utah Jazz