Background and career
Vernon Maxwell (born September 12, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player. He was a shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for thirteen seasons during the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. Maxwell played college basketball for the University of Florida, and led the Florida Gators to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. He was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 1988 NBA draft and was immediately traded to the San Antonio Spurs. His longest and most successful NBA tenure was with the Houston Rockets. The nickname "Mad Max" was bestowed upon Maxwell by color commentators for his clutch three-point shooting, which reached its pinnacle in the deciding game of the 1994 NBA Finals between Houston and New York. Maxwell is among just nine players in NBA history to amass 30 points in a single quarter, accomplishing that feat en route to a 51-point outing on January 26, 1991, against Cleveland.
Maxwell was born in Gainesville, Florida. He attended Buchholz High School in Gainesville, and played for the Buchholz Bobcats high school basketball team. As a senior, Maxwell was the Mr. Basketball of the state of Florida as well as being an all-state defensive back in football.
Maxwell received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida, where he played for coach Norm Sloan's Florida Gators men's basketball from 1984 to 1988. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 20.2 points as a senior and still holds five Gators team records. He left school after four years as the Gators' all-time leading scorer (2,450) and the No. 2 scorer in Southeastern Conference history behind LSU's Pete Maravich. He remains the third-leading scorer in Southeastern Conference history. He averaged more than 20 points in both his junior and senior seasons, although Florida would erase all the points Maxwell scored in those seasons because Maxwell accepted money from agents as well as a free round-trip ticket to go to a basketball camp. However, on September 18, 2025, the University Athletic Association restored his statistics from his last two seasons, restoring Maxwell to his previous position as the all-time leading scorer in Gator history.
On June 28, 1988, Maxwell was drafted into the NBA by the Denver Nuggets, who traded him the same day to the San Antonio Spurs for a second-round pick the next year. Two years later, his contract was sold to the Houston Rockets for $50,000. In 2022, he went on Gilbert Arenas' podcast and told him that he was sent to Houston because he ignored Gregg Popovich's orders to stay out of clubs.
In his first 30 games with Houston, his scoring nearly doubled what he had scored his last 49 games in San Antonio. In January 1991, he became the fourth player to score 30 points in a quarter when he scored 30 of his career high 51 points in the fourth quarter of the Rockets 103–97 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Maxwell held the NBA's record for most 3-pointers made in a season from 1991 to 1993. In 1993, with the Rockets off to a 14-0 start, they faced the 9-2 New York Knicks in New York on December 2, in an attempt to start their season an NBA-record tying 15-0. Maxwell said that "we heard that they were saying things about our streak ending there. I was irritated by that. I wanted to talk. But we all decided to let our play do the talking." They won going away 93-85, with Maxwell scoring 17 and adding 6 assists, further solidifying their start which would extend to 22-2. That season, he hit several shots to lead the Rockets to wins, including a buzzer-beater leading to an overtime win against the Miami Heat on December 9 and five points in the final 50 seconds to give the Rockets a come-from-behind win against the San Antonio Spurs on December 22. For the season, he averaged 13.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. In game three of the 1994 Western Conference Semifinals, Maxwell scored 31 points in the second half, helping the Rockets overcome a 2-0 deficit and saving their season, according to teammate Mario Elie. During the 1994 NBA Finals, Maxwell scored 21 points in the deciding game 7, helping the Rockets win their first NBA championship. On February 6, 1995, Maxwell went into the stands during a road game against the Portland Trail Blazers and punched a fan that had allegedly made racist comments and derogatory remarks about the player's stillborn daughter. The fan, Steve George, denied Maxwell's allegations. Maxwell was suspended for 10 games and fined $20,000 for the incident. At the time, it was the highest fine in NBA history and the second longest suspension. Maxwell was not a part of the Rockets' 1995 championship roster, quitting the team after a loss to Utah in the 1995 playoffs. Clyde Drexler, who Houston had acquired in February 1995, had taken away most of Maxwell's minutes and his starting spot. The decision to quit the team is something that Maxwell has said he regrets. Maxwell said that he was frustrated that he had lost playing time to Drexler. He also said that he was frustrated that he hadn't been contacted by the front office while on his suspension for going into the stands and that he felt unappreciated by a team to which he had given so much. He was waived by the Rockets in June 1995.
The Philadelphia 76ers signed Maxwell in the fall of 1995. Maxwell said he had been offered more money to play for the Indiana Pacers or the Charlotte Hornets but the opportunity to play for John Lucas convinced him to sign with the 76ers. Maxwell scored 16.2 points, grabbed 3.1 rebounds, and dished out 4.4 assists a game on 39% shooting that season. His high-scoring game for that season was 41.
