Jenny Dial Creech from the Chronicle catches up with Vernon http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rockets/article/Maxwell-s-big-shots-ring-true-20-years-after-5404760.php
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Apologies Vernon Maxwell still remembers the plane ride vividly. The Rockets had lost their second straight playoff game to Phoenix at The Summit the night before and trailed the Suns 2-0 in the second-round series. Maxwell, a fiery guard who despised the taste of defeat, looked around the plane to see the faces of his dejected teammates. "Everyone looked like deer in headlights," Maxwell said. "Their heads were hanging low. It was not a good sight." Maxwell was angry. He couldn't stand the thought of the Rockets' season coming to an end. "Y'all can do whatever y'all want," he told his teammates matter-of-factly. "I'm going down shooting, though." The next night, May 13, 1994, in Phoenix, Maxwell scored 34 points (31 in the second half) as the Rockets won. They would go on to beat Phoenix in seven games and eventually win their first NBA title. "That was a big night that year," Maxwell said. "There were a lot of big nights, but that was one of them." Vernon Maxwell, right, encourages backcourt mate Sam Cassell during the 1994 NBA Finals against the Knicks. John Makely, HP Staff Vernon Maxwell, right, encourages backcourt mate Sam Cassell during the 1994 NBA Finals against the Knicks. Maxwell, a veteran guard out of Florida, said that game was one that put him on the map. It's just one of the memories he still gets excited about 20 years later. "That year," Maxwell said, "was something else." Maxwell, 48, hasn't played much basketball since retiring from the NBA in 2001. These days, he lays low and spends time with his family in Charlotte, N.C., and plays a lot of golf. His oldest son, Brandon, will play basketball at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in the fall. "I have a lot of good things going on," Maxwell said. He has watched several Rockets games this season and thinks his former team has something special brewing. And that is something Maxwell knows how to spot. Unique camaraderie When the Rockets reported for camp in September 1993, he knew the season would be a big one for the team. Several of the players, including the starting five - Maxwell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Horry, Otis Thorpe and Kenny Smith - were back. There were a few additions, including Mario Elie and rookie Sam Cassell. "We had been together, and the new guys that year were mature and ready to work," Maxwell said. "That was the best camp I have ever had. Rudy (Tomjanovoch) was the best coach I ever had. We were motivated. We were hungry. You could just tell it was in the air." Maxwell had never experienced the camaraderie and chemistry with a team as he did that year - not in his high school days in Gainesville, Fla., nor with the Gators in college. He felt at ease with his teammates. He knew all their moves, their tendencies, their strengths and their weaknesses. The closeness of that team, Maxwell said, was unlike anything he had ever - or would ever - experience. "I could have played in the dark with those guys," Maxwell said. "I didn't need to see them or see the basket. It didn't matter who we played. We just clicked." The rest of the league saw what Maxwell did soon enough as the Rockets started the season 15-0. Their 15th win came against the Knicks in New York. When they got to Madison Square Garden, Maxwell listened to the taunting and trash talk from fans and opposing players. "Even before we got there, we heard that they were saying things about our streak ending there," Maxwell said. "I was irritated by that. I wanted to talk back, but we all decided to let our play do the talking. Then we won by 20." Clutch shooter Maxwell laughs when he talks about that game in New York on Dec. 2, 1993. The Rockets actually won 94-85, and he scored 17 points and had six assists. It was a statement for the Rockets. If anyone hadn't believed they were a team to watch, they did then. But as high as the Rockets were after that win, they learned how quickly things can change the next night in Atlanta. Maxwell's game-high 26 points against the Hawks weren't enough as the Rockets took their first loss of the season, 133-111. "That loss was also a special moment," Maxwell said. "It stung, but it showed us that we couldn't let up." The Rockets would go on to fashion a 22-1 start. They played in several close games, and Maxwell became known for his clutch shooting. His late 3-pointers were the difference in nine games. There was the buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the Rockets into overtime (and an eventual win) against Miami on Dec. 9. And on Jan. 26 against Cleveland, he poured in 51 points for a career high. "Since junior high school, I always wanted the ball when the game was on the line," Maxwell said. "I was never anxious or worried about having to take a shot late in the game. I was never scared of missing. I didn't feel pressure. "As long as I can remember, I could hit game-winners. It was just another shot. The ball ended up in my hands. I guess I just played unconsciously. I would be the same if I made it or missed it." Words of advice Maxwell said that when the Rockets got to the playoffs, he knew they would win a championship. They beat Portland in the first round, then Phoenix in the second. Then came Utah in the conference final. Maxwell hit five 3-pointers in Game 5 against the Jazz as the Rockets won 94-83 and moved on to the NBA Finals against the Knicks. "It was magical," Maxwell said. "It was the best feeling to be in the Finals." The Rockets outlasted New York in seven games. In the last one, he scored 21 points in front of a Houston crowd, and the Rockets won 90-84. "It was so crazy," Maxwell said. "The city was going wild. It took me literally four or five hours to get out of the stadium. The streets were so packed. It was so crazy. It was a great night. It was wonderful." Maxwell said he frequently thinks of that season, his teammates and the ride they took together. Even though it was 20 years ago, he said many memories remain crisp in his mind. As he watches Rockets games now, he said he sees a group of young, talented and hungry players who could bring a championship back to the city. Maxwell said that with more time together and the talent the Rockets have, they have the right mix for a championship season within the next couple of years. "I would tell those guys to stay close to your teammates," Maxwell said. "Those are the guys that will have your back. Go in the gym and work hard. Give (coach Kevin) McHale everything you have and leave it on the floor. If you can do that, that's basically it. Play tenacious and play hard." There also is the small matter of not giving up, which Maxwell refused to do when Phoenix seemed to have the Rockets' number. "I'll never forget that plane ride," Maxwell said. "You can't ever count yourself out. You have to go out with everything. Go down shooting." It's been 20 years since the Rockets won the 1993-94 NBA title, the first major championship for the city of Houston. Throughout this season, the Chronicle will bring you stories on the figures and moments from that season.
There is a lot of Maxwell in Patrick Beverley, at the least the good traits. Both of them are fiery, fearless who hate losing. Watching Bev is like watching the reincarnation of Madmax. :grin:
We don't win the first championship without Vernon Maxwell's 2nd half performance in game 3 against Phoenix. We were down at halftime, already behind 2-0, and if we lose that game, I'm sorry, we're just not winning 4 in a row. Maxwell did it. It's one of the top 10 greatest single-game performances in Rockets history.
still remember game 1 against the blazers……maxwell vs clyde in the 2nd half with ridiculous shot after ridiculous shot (clyde's 13ft 'jellyroll' & off the dribble 3, maxwell's 'silver hammer')…..dick versace was beside himself..
I like the defense and toughness. when Beverly starts hitting half court shots and waiving his gun at Lubys then he'll remind me of Maxwell.
That night when maxwell took down Phoenix in the second half was the birth of clutch city. Time is a flat circle so clutch city will go on forever
Yes, the quickening....feel it, taste it...remember...How sweet it is! Let it echo through the corridors of your soul.