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CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers will move into a new era with Mike Gansey taking over as the team’s President of Basketball Operations. He just ran his first draft and selected Alabama star Labaron Philon Jr. with the No. 22 pick in the draft.
Philon is coming off a season in which he averaged 22.0 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 50.1% from the floor and taking his 3-point percentage up from 31.5% as a freshman in 2024-25 to 39.9% as a sophomore. He is clearly a hard worker and Gansey and Co. will be looking for him to take another leap in the near future.

If there was one player Philon models his game after, it’s Sixers star Tyrese Maxey. The two are smaller guards and are both explosive scorers and that’s what attracted Philon to Maxey.
“I would just say the skill set,” said Philon of Maxey. “The ability to create his own shot, the ability to not be afraid to take tough shots and make tough shots. The unselfishness really from him being able to do it at a high level, able to pass the ball, able to get inside the lane, make his teammates better, really. At the guard spot, that’s really what you need. Somebody that’s going to be a great leader. Somebody that’s going to lead the young guys. I feel like he did a great job just accepting VJ (Edgecombe) in and showing him the ropes that coach (Nick) Nurse wanted to see.”
Maxey has grown so much as a leader in terms of being able to help the younger guys, like Edgecombe in 2025-26 and now Philon, and bring them along as quickly as possible. He has also grown his game as he has taken leaps and bounds forward as a player as well. The Sixers will continue to lean on him, as will Philon, in the near future.
“I would just say, you know, for a guard, that’s really acceptable, just because you know those are two great players, and you know, just adding me, it’s really like a combination of a great combination,” Philon added. “You got a guy with Maxey who’s just—that smoothness. VJ with a lot of athleticism, and then you add a guy like me with that same smoothness like Maxey’s kind of add on and mix together. It’s a great group of guys, I would say.”

Maxey, who has taken it upon himself in the past to welcome the younger players in with open arms and get to know them, will likely look to work with Philon at some point. The two young players love to get in the gym and Philon is expecting that call at some point, but for now, he’s content with just having Maxey’s number.
“I haven’t talked to him a lot,” Philon finished. “Just with everything going on in the draft, but he hit my number and told me to hit him if I need anything and it definitely was great to see the Sixers select me because of that similar play style. Hearing from him was definitely exciting for me just to see a top guard like that in the league take a young guy in and show him the ropes. So, I’m really excited to get to work with him.”
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Rookie guard Labaron Philon Jr. singles out Sixers star Tyrese Maxey
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