NBA star Tyrese Maxey was learning new tricks earlier this month, until he was left red-faced by an adorable pup.
The Philadelphia 76ers point guard swapped the court for the obstacle course on November 16 when he participated in the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge Agility Show at the Kennel Club in the City of Brotherly Love.
In front of around 15,000 spectators, the 25-year-old attempted to guide two dogs through the course, which included tunnels, weave poles, several agility hurdles and even a tire for the canines to leap through.
While Maxey owns three pups of his own, he wasn’t directing his own dogs through the course but rather a pair – Howie and Spike – he was introduced to on the spot.
After watching a professional run the course, Maxey stepped up to the task with Howie first.
The pairing got off to a hot start with the hoops star racing around the track calling out commands of ‘jump,’ ‘tunnel’ and ‘weave, weave, weave, weave’ as Howie successfully navigated his way through the tire and tunnel.
NBA star Tyrese Maxey swapped the court for the obstacle course on November 16
The Philadelphia 76ers point guard guided two dogs through an agility course at a dog show
One pup, Howie, got distracted by the toy in Maxey’s hand, derailing his run attempt
But the performance quickly went off the rails when Howie became more interested in the toy in Maxey’s hand than weaving, which led to a tug-of-war between the duo.
Maxey eventually steered the dog back on to the course and they finished their run with a time of 41 seconds.
His second attempt with Spike went a lot smoother, resulting in a commendable time of 30 seconds.
‘It’s been amazing. I’ve been able to just walk around and see a lot of different dogs. They’re very well trained. I wish my dogs could come here and learn some skills, but it’s been incredible. It’s a great opportunity,’ Maxey said on the NBC broadcast, which was aired on Thanksgiving.
Show organizers reportedly brought Maxey to the arena early to tour the course, while the player himself wanted to familiarize himself with the different breeds.
‘It was really fun. They got me out here sweating, like I just played a whole quarter. I think I’m going to stick to staying on the court,’ he joked.
NBC Sports producer Alexa Maremaa told ESPN that officials had reached out to the 76ers to see if any of their players would be interested in participating.
Maxey has previous experience with agility skills. Last year, Maxey appeared in a State Farm commercial with the Players Tribune, learning dog training skills from Perry DeWitt and Jessica Ajoux, two professional agility trainers.