Hey! Whatever Happened To: Vernon Maxwell
By Brian Taylor
November 19th, 2004.
Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past year and a half, you probably remember the above day being a red-letter date in basketball history. It goes right up there with Rudy T being knocked senseless by the Lakers’ Kermit Washington. It was the day NBA fanaticism and players crossed the line, and we had to re-think, collectively, how we view sports. Sure, Ron Artest was a character, and so was “the Worm”, but as always, someone had that gig before, and it came in the form of one Vernon “Mad Max” Maxwell.
Most of you remember Vernon from his days as a Houston Rocket. Alongside Kenny “the Jet” Smith, Hakeem Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe and a rookie from the University of Mars (Sam Cassell), Maxwell won a title in 1993 and later in 1994 after teaming up with Clyde Drexler. “Mad Max” was one of the NBA’s “most-clutch-players-you’ve-never-heard-of” mainly because of his crazy off the court antics, but ask John Starks or anyone from the 1995 Orlando Magic, and they’ll tell you the same. Coming out of Florida, Max was bounced around a bit until he found a spot in the Rockets’ system. Rudy Tomjanovich was one of the only coaches ever to harness his anger, excitement and energy into a positive effort on the basketball court. Defensively, like Artest, Vernon was a true stalwart, even holding MJ to well below his season averages whenever the two matched up. That first title year in Houston, he had 125 steals, along with a 13 point scoring average. His quickness and effective three-point stroke opened up the paint underneath, so “the Dream” could go to work on putting opponents to sleep. Vernon Maxwell was one of those “loose cannon/renegade cop” type of guys where you couldn’t bank your life savings on which version would show up that night.
If you thought Ron-Ron was looney, you have another thing coming. Maxwell’s list of detonations reads like Rodman, Artest and J.R. Rider rolled into one. At the University of Tennesee, Mad Max looked listless, sleepy and went scoreless. After being asked about the performance, then-coach Norm Sloan admitted that Maxwell “was probably drunk”. Going into the stands to punch someone? That one was Vernon Maxwell all the way. The Rockets were in Portland, and there was a guy on the baseline who’d been razzing Max all night. Most NBA players shake it off, some encourage it, but not Vernon. Like Ron-Ron at the Palace, Maxwell went berserk and charged into the crowd to knock the guy out. The fine he got matched the highest ever in NBA History and the suspension he got was second longest (until the Pistons met the Pacers that is). He had the usual “NBA Drama” of late child support/deadbeat dad issues and “strapping up for the haters” (gun charges), but Max had some other goings-on as well. In 1995, Maxwell took a 14-day leave from the team for “personal, family reasons” only to let it known later that he “just needed a break” (sound familiar?). He tried to nail Carl Hererra, a teammate, with a free-weight in a minor beef that escalated into a brawl at the Rockets’ training facility. After an arrest in Georgia, he told law enforcement his name was “Kenneth Shaw”. Oh, and you can’t forget that he knowingly infected a woman with the “gift-that-keeps-on-giving”, coughing up a half million in the judgement because he failed to show up in court (*cough* Michael Vick?). Eventually, the Rockets tired of his tom-foolery and hijinks and once more, a past-his-prime veteran made the NBA “World Tour”, with stops in Philly (twice), Orlando, Seattle, San Antonio, Sactown and Dallas before calling it quits in 2001.
Comments
By Nick on August 2nd, 2006 at 2:28 am
Old Mad Max! I remember that game and boy was that a site!
By Mary on August 2nd, 2006 at 7:21 am
Wow Brian, you made him sound more interesting than when he was in the league. I swear I thought he was just one of those guys you have heard of but can’t really remember anything great about him. I suppose he couldn’t really be the “bad-boy standout” being in the league during Rodman’s prime. Well done…
By Ryan on August 2nd, 2006 at 1:33 pm
great job Brian! I followed the Rockets during their “championship” runs - everyone knows that those aren’t true titals because if MJ was around the Bulls would have won in those years - but I didn’t realize/remember how big of a headcase Mad Max was off the court.
By Edward on November 15th, 2006 at 3:39 pm
I feel bad that he wasted so much talent. Hew was actually one of the great players in the NBA during his tenure. You hate to see a man, especially someone with so much potential go to ruin. Michael Jordan once said that the two players that he had the hardest time scoring against was Joe Dumars and Vernon Maxwell. I wish that he would get back involved in the NBA because he needs to finish right. Once you are down, you don’t always have to stay down and society needs to allow him to come back up.
By Caceena on January 20th, 2007 at 1:40 am
I totally agree with Edward. I followed the Rockets the entire time Vernon was with them. Vernon has the potential to pull himself up and come back. I would support him.
By dee on May 29th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
You can say what you want about “mad max” but he had a positive influnce on me. in 1993 when I was in high school in houston he used to just show up at the park and shoot around with us. After that he would give all of the grown folks beer and just leave. He was the only NBA player to come to 3rd ward and do this. regardless of what he did bad in life I owe my college and overseas carreer to him.
By dee on May 29th, 2007 at 11:34 pm
Oh by the way mad max held jordan to 9 points. the lowest point total of his carreer. he was also very flustered I’ve never saw jordan like that.
By james on July 12th, 2008 at 1:01 am
I agree with the 3rd ward guy. I had a similar experience with max. He has a good spirit. As a teen he let me ride him 2 the the playground n he hooped wit us. He’s as real as it gets.
By SAM JONES on October 7th, 2008 at 10:38 am
JUST TO PIGGY BACK ON DEE AND JAMES ABOUT HOW REAL V-MAX IS, AS ONE OF HIS HOME BOYS FROM G-VILLE, HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY. WHEN HE ENTERED UF HE WOULD ALLOW ANY OF HIS HOMIES TO VISIT THE DORMS AND HANG OUT IN THE COLLEGE SETTING WITH HIM. HE ALWAYS HAD A OPEN DOOR POLICY AND HE ALWAYS HAD YOUR BACK. I CAN AGREE THAT HE HAS MADE BAD DECISIONS AS MANY AS OF HAVE, BUT I WILL DISAGREE WITH THOSE WHO WANT TO CALL HIM AN OVERALL BAD PERSON. UF IS A BASKETBALL NAME NOW BECAUSE OF BILLY D BUT IT WAS V-MAX WHO MADE IT A CREDIBLE PLACE TO PLAY BALL. BEFORE V-MAX AND THE OTHER 2 M&M BOYS, MOTEN AND MONTGOMERY, FLORIDA BASKETBALL WAS GARBAGE. V-MAX IS THE NAME WE CALLED HIM BEFORE THE NBA.