The most-shared moment of the Philadelphia 76ers’ Blue x White scrimmage had nothing to do with basketball. On October 3, Tyrese Maxey handed his infant daughter, Marvel, to LeBron James on the bench. James bounced her on his knee while the game continued around him. Marvel wore tiny noise-canceling headphones, and Maxey took her back about a minute later.

A new clip captures Maxey talking with James about Marvel, and the conversation eventually turns to James’ age. It begins with Maxey greeting the baby before playfully suggesting a new nickname for the veteran forward.

“Say what’s up? Say what’s up, Uncle Bron? Hey girl,” Maxey says to Marvel before adding, “You can call him Pawpaw Bron if you want.”

James’ reaction provides the standout line. “By the time she get ten, I’ll be in my fifties. I don’t understand,” he says.

James is 41 and turns 42 on December 30, 2026. Marvel, born on May 14, 2026, will turn ten in May 2036, when James will be 51. The age difference explains the joke as James considers how old he will be when Maxey’s daughter reaches double digits.

The discussion then turns to how quickly babies grow. “They start walking and talking. That’s crazy, bro,” James says. He asks how old Marvel is, and Maxey responds that she is “about to be five months.” James follows up with, “That’s it? That’s it, bro. Pawpaw. All right, bro.”

Marvel is the first child of Maxey and Myra Gordon, a former college basketball player at Pepperdine and Alabama. The NBA shared the scrimmage moment with the caption “Uncle Bron on babysitting duties,” while James posted about the experience himself, writing, “Uncle Bron on babysitting duty! she’s the best.”

Why Maxey Trusts James With Marvel

Maxey and James share an agent through Klutch Sports, and their relationship dates back to Maxey’s pre-draft days in 2020. Their connection has continued to grow, with Maxey describing James as a mentor figure in his life.

In January 2025, after Philadelphia beat James’ Lakers, Maxey summed up their relationship: “He’s just like a big brother to me.”

James’ relationship with Maxey reportedly influenced his move to Philadelphia, where he signed a two-year, $8 million deal, as NBA.com reported in its coverage of his decision to join the 76ers

Maxey is coming off a season in which he averaged 28.3 points per game and earned All-NBA Third Team honors. The two now enter the 2026-27 season as teammates in Philadelphia.

Fatherhood has also changed Maxey’s perspective. “It just makes me want to be more involved,” he said. “…Grateful to be a father. Grateful to be someone who can protect her, watch her grow up, and try to be a loving person in her life.”

For James, who is entering his 24th NBA season, the exchange offered a glimpse of his relationship with his new teammate away from the court. Maxey’s playful nickname and James’ reaction to the thought of being in his fifties by the time Marvel turns ten made the clip memorable without a basketball highlight in sight.