PHILADELPHIA — The NBA is a brotherhood. These guys will lean on each other for support no matter what is going on or whether they are teammates or not, and it leads to the respect factor that each guy has for one another just for getting to this level.

For Detroit Pistons big man Paul Reed, he has Tyrese Maxey. A former Philadelphia 76ers draft classmate of Maxey’s, Reed and Maxey built a strong relationship and the two of them have kept that bond even though Reed is now with the Pistons.

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“That’s my brother, man,” Reed told Sixers Wire. “We were super close when we were here. That’s, like, my brother, for real. Our moms are close and they hang out off the court. I’m just happy to see him doing good over here. I’m proud of him.”

Maxey was named an All-Star for the second time in his career and the first time as a starter as he has taken his game to another level. He scored 23 points as the Sixers fell to the Pistons 116-93 on Saturday night as he continues to be an elite scorer.

“Very impressive, man,” said Reed. “Seeing him grow as a player, as a leader—and he’s doing the same things he’s been doing since I’ve been playing for this team. So, I expected him to go crazy and keep going crazy. He’s just doing what I expected him to do.”

Maxey has given love to Reed in the past as the two have remained close. Even though he’s now watching from afar and, obviously, focusing on what he has to do with the Pistons, Reed is still keeping tabs on Maxey. It’s all a part of that aforementioned NBA brotherhood that is so important to have as players build relationships in this league.

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“It’s super important,” Reed finished. “When you’re on a team with your guy and then you end up getting traded or something crazy happens or you’re not teammates anymore, but you can still have that connection, that bond. It’s like what the NBA’s all about, for real. At the end of the day, it’s like a brotherhood. Not everybody’s gonna get along, but you got your brothers that you got close with. You’re always gonna have that connection for life.”

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Pistons’ Paul Reed gives love to former Sixers teammate Tyrese Maxey