Vernon Maxwell
Vernon Maxwell | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 12, 1965 Gainesville, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player (retired) |
| Years active | Late 1980s–early 2000s |
| Known for | NBA shooting guard, member of 1994 Houston Rockets championship team |
Vernon Maxwell (born September 12, 1965) is a retired American professional basketball athlete who competed as a shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) across thirteen seasons from the late 1980s through the early 2000s.
During his collegiate years, Maxwell represented the University of Florida, where he played a pivotal role in guiding the Florida Gators to their inaugural NCAA tournament berth. Selected in the second round of the 1988 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets, he was promptly traded to the San Antonio Spurs. His most distinguished period in the NBA came with the Houston Rockets.
Known by the moniker "Mad Max" due to his reliable three-point shooting under pressure, Maxwell delivered his peak performance in the decisive game of the 1994 NBA Finals facing New York. He ranks among a select group of nine players in NBA history to have scored 30 points within a single quarter, accomplishing this feat during a 51-point outing on January 26, 1991, against the Cleveland team.
Early years
Born in Gainesville, Florida, Maxwell attended Buchholz High School, where he played for the Buchholz Bobcats basketball squad. As a senior, he earned the title of Mr. Basketball of Florida and was also recognized as an all-state defensive back in football.
College career
Maxwell secured an athletic scholarship at the University of Florida, competing under coach Norm Sloan for the Florida Gators men's basketball team from 1984 until 1988. Standing 6-foot-4, he averaged 20.2 points per game during his senior year and set 15 team records. Upon graduation, he held the record as the Gators' all-time leading scorer with 2,450 points and was second only to Pete Maravich in scoring within the Southeastern Conference. Maxwell maintained averages exceeding 20 points during both his junior and senior seasons; however, these statistics were initially nullified due to NCAA infractions related to agent payments and complimentary tickets.<ref> Nevertheless, on September 18, 2025, his stats for those seasons were reinstated by the University Athletic Association, restoring his status as UF men's basketball's all-time leading scorer.<ref>
Professional career
Maxwell entered the NBA when he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets on June 28, 1988, but was immediately traded to the San Antonio Spurs. Two years later, Houston Rockets acquired his contract for $50,000,<ref> where he emerged as an essential player contributing to the franchise’s first NBA title in 1994. Renowned for his clutch shooting abilities, Maxwell held the NBA record for most three-pointers made in a season from 1991 until 1993.<ref> In January 1991, he achieved a career-high 51 points in a game that included scoring 30 points in a single quarter.
In February 1995, Maxwell faced a suspension of ten games and a $20,000 fine after an incident involving punching a fan during an away game—this represented then the largest fine ever imposed by the NBA and its second-longest suspension.<ref> Following diminished playing time caused by Clyde Drexler’s arrival, Maxwell left Houston’s roster and was not part of their championship-winning team in 1995.<ref> The Rockets waived him in June of that year.<ref>
For the 1999–2000 season, Maxwell signed with the Seattle SuperSonics. In March 2000, he became involved in an on-court confrontation with teammate Gary Payton which inadvertently resulted in Horace Grant being injured by a weight; this injury caused Grant to miss one game.<ref> Before the playoffs commenced, Maxwell was sidelined from participating in the series against the Utah Jazz due to a knee injury.<ref>
Personal life
In August 1995, Maxwell was found guilty of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance after marijuana was discovered in his car during a traffic stop. He attempted to overturn the conviction through appeals but ultimately surrendered to Houston authorities in April 1998 when the Supreme Court refused to review his case.
In February 1996, a court ordered Maxwell to pay $592,000 to Sheila Rias following a lawsuit in which she claimed he deliberately transmitted herpes to her. After several trials and default judgments, Maxwell declared bankruptcy just one day prior to the commencement of the third trial.
The same year, Maxwell acknowledged through a blood test that he was the father of his son Dominique and gave him $40 to maintain secrecy. In April 2004, he served a five-day jail term for failing to pay $150,000 in child support and was subsequently extradited to Cobb County, Georgia, facing charges that included kidnapping and aggravated assault.
Maxwell was arrested again in August 2020 on various charges such as aggravated stalking and driving under the influence. Following this arrest, he accused Emerson police of racial discrimination.
See also
External links
- Career stats
- NBA.com player profile
- "'Mad Max' threw away talent and much more" – Column by Hubert Mizell, St. Petersburg Times