In launching the new Hesi Low 2, the All-Star guard says New Balance’s momentum is pushing the brand toward being “second to none.”
In a rapidly rising four years, Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey has not only found himself as a franchise point guard for an Eastern Conference contender, he’s also earned his lane as a featured face of New Balance.
Heading into his third season with the company since signing on during the 2022-23 campaign, Maxey has made the most of his opportunity on the court at just 23 years old. After wearing the Two Wxy series, he’s now shifting to a headlining role of the Hesi Low 2, a sculpted low-top tailor-made for his shifty game that he says features screechingly loud traction.
Ahead of Hesi 2 Low’s launch on Aug. 2, Boardroom caught up with one of the most electric rising guards in the NBA earlier this week to discuss the new sneaker, the energy around the overall New Balance brand, and how Tyrese Maxey plans to map out his investment strategy now that he’s got a freshly inked max contract in hand.
A biweekly email from industry authority Nick DePaula packed with exclusive sneaker news and access to the athletes, designers, and executives that move the business.
Nick DePaula: You’re the face of the Hesi Low 2. How excited are you to lead the shoe into the new season?
Tyrese Maxey: I’m very appreciative. New Balance has been great for me man, and it’s been everything I could’ve asked for in a partnership. I’m very thankful for that and appreciative of them giving me this opportunity.
I think the shoe is amazing, and I think everyone is going to really like the Hesi Low 2. For me, being a speed guy and a quick guy that makes a lot of different cuts, the silhouette is perfect. The speed with the low cut is great, and everything about the shoe is light. I keep talking about the squeaks that the grip makes on the court, and I love it. I’m very thankful and I’m very excited about it.
NDP: How would you compare the Hesi 1 to the 2?
TM: It’s a little different, as far as the look of it. For the feel, I think it’s more comfortable inside, and the grip on the court is really the biggest difference. New Balance has done a great job every year of updating, staying with the times of life, and to keep progressing. They’re doing a great job not just on the court, but off the court as well, really understanding what people like.
NDP: New Balance has been really focusing on specific styles of play and moves with its shoe franchises, like the Two Wxy and Hesi series. When you first signed on with the brand in 2022, what style of shoe and input were you providing to the team to help influence the future models that we’re now seeing?
TM: The biggest thing that I was looking for was something light, and something that looked really cool and could be durable for the speeds and cuts that I play with. A basketball shoe goes through a lot, just in one game, especially for someone like me that’s playing heavy minutes. Every shoe that I’ve worn since I’ve been with the brand has been great, and these Hesi Low 2s are another step in the right direction. They can be compared to any shoe that’s out there.
NDP: When you start to elevate as a player, you start to get your own PEs and custom colorways. Are there any themes or stories you’re looking to tell through your sneakers this season?
TM: We’ve got some real cool stuff that people can look forward to. New Balance has done a great job of letting me put my two cents in on PEs and different colorways. Last year, one of the biggest ones for me was inspired by my nieces. I wore two different colors, a pink one and a purple one, that represented my twin nieces Kali and Kai. I also had one inspired by my dog.
NDP: Take me back to the fall of 2022, when your prior shoe deal was approaching. What was that process like for you, and what stood out about New Balance at that time?
TM: My biggest thing was finding a partner. Not just, ‘OK, here’s our shoes, and you can wear them, and here’s the money we’ll pay you.’ That wasn’t important to me. I do so much in the community, and New Balance helps me so much with all of that.
I have a camp coming up next weekend. Last year, I did a backpack giveaway and a back-to-school drive. This year, I’m doing a turkey giveaway and a toy drive around the holidays. I do so many things, and New Balance is always right there and the first one to help me. I know that I can call them at any time and ask them to help me with this, that, and the third. They’re always willing to help, and that was number one. It’s a partnership.
I also wanted something new and something fresh. New Balance has definitely been around, but it’s coming back around, and I wanted to be part of pushing that. On the East Coast, it’s big in Philly, Boston, and New York. It’s huge. But I’m from Dallas, and I wanted to be part of pushing it in Dallas more. New Balance is amazing in terms of what they have for style and for comfort.
NDP: How have you seen the New Balance brand grow just over the last couple of years since you signed on?
TM: It’s growing too rapidly. [laughs] Everywhere I look, I see New Balances on. This summer, I’ve been in Dallas, LA, and I went to Paris and the south of France. I’ve been seeing New Balance everywhere. It’s what’s hot right now. They’re doing an unbelievable job, and it’s like everything they’re doing is created for the people.
NDP: I know family is big for you. What’s it been like being part of the New Balance family over the last year? What are those commercial shoots like, where they bring everyone together, and what are your relationships like with the other guys and girls on the roster?
TM: It’s a tight group and a family-oriented business. We had our commercial shoot last year where everyone was together in Las Vegas, and that was amazing. Guys were really able to talk to each other and laugh, and Cam Brink was there as well and was really cool. That was an amazing shoot. Then, just knowing all of the players, I follow everyone that’s with New Balance now. When I see another athlete out like [tennis player] Tommy Paul, we’ll stop and talk about the brand, and it’s great.
NDP: Every player dreams of getting their own signature shoe. Now that you’ve made the All-Star Game and have taken that next step as a player, how much have you been thinking about the potential of having your own shoe down the road?
TM: Of course, and that’s every basketball player as a kid’s dream. But I’m thankful for whatever New Balance has in store for me, and I’ll be happy with that. [Leading the Hesi Low 2] is a step in the right direction and they’ve been so good to me and given me an opportunity to do a lot of different things and put my voice into everything.
NDP: When the 76ers hosted you at that gallery space to celebrate your new max contract, there was a cool display of your jerseys. They also basically revealed that the black DuraSheen 76ers jersey that Allen Iverson wore is coming back. What do you think of that design in particular and how exciting will that be for the franchise?
TM: That jersey is iconic to Philly fans, and we know why it’s iconic. I don’t know the exact date of the jersey, but I do think they’ll be back soon. [laughs] So it should be fun and it would be a great opportunity for the city. Hopefully we can get AI there for whenever it drops.
NDP: When I saw the black, white, and red Hesi Low, it really fits with that jersey. I was curious, though, because I’ve noticed you really do seem to like matching your shoes with the uniforms, which is a bit rare these days. A lot of guys are wearing more loud and clashing stuff.
TM: It’s kind of the way it shook out. I have so many colorways, and I try to play in a new pair every game. So it comes down to whatever shoes I can find that come to mind at that time. I’m just thankful to have that many options. [laughs]
NDP: The max contract was huge for you this summer. Have you started to plan how you plan to approach investments and your off-court business going forward?
TM: Honestly, it’s so fresh, that I still need to let it soak in first. But it does give me an opportunity to do some different things and bring some people along on my team that can help me. My biggest thing is that I’m just thankful for it. It’s something that I really wanted and something that I’ve worked extremely hard for. It wasn’t all about getting a max contract, it was more about being the best possible version of myself, and that came with it. I’m happy, and we’ll see where it takes me.
NDP: As you lean on the people around you, what is some of the best business and off-court advice you’ve gotten as you look ahead in your career?
TM: I have a lot of people in my corner. You really have to figure out what you like, what you want to invest in, and what’s important to you. Once you know what’s important to you, then you can figure out what you want to invest in and be happy with it. You can feel like you want to grow, get better in that and put your time and your money into it.
NDP: Bringing it back to New Balance, I know the ‘We Got Next’ tagline has been there for a few seasons now, but you said you feel like the brand is “second to none” right now. What has it been like to be a part of the group that has helped with that momentum?
TM: It’s really not just about basketball — it’s just the brand as a whole. Being able to walk the streets and see so many New Balances. Not just 550s or 9060s, but everybody is wearing a lot of different colorways and a lot of different styles. It makes me happy and just blessed to be a part of it and help in any type of way that I can help to pushing New Balance.
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