Either Vernon Maxwell, Sam Cassell, or Tracy McGrady those are the only 3 players that I can think off the top of my head that grew up in Florida that would be a part of a Rockets discussion. But I did find the anser, and it is your boy Vernon Maxwell. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Maxwell It also says that he violated 2 big rules in the NCAA...by accepting cash payments from coaches and snorted cocaine before ATLEAST one tournament game. He was a good college player and holds 15 records for the Gators to this day. But Tmac with hard work and coming straight out of high school with some exceptional physical athletic abilites became a star in this league. Max had the potential to be a very good player for many years in this league, but he only managed to succeed with Hakeem Olajuwon. If he was so great, why didn't he do anything before/after he left Houston? Why didn't he improve his shooting %'s if he knew he was going to get that shot wide open every night? Max is the only one to blame for him not becoming the player he probably should've been for many years.
Yes it was Maxwell who could have gone to play for the Gator's football team, but chose hoops. Who cares about NCAA Violations (Chris Webber, Fab Five), like it doesn't happen. Go rent "He Got Game". He played defense, that's what he prided himself on. He was a character, he was like Tupac ( you can't find Tupac on basketball-reference.com). He was real you felt Tupac's music and his message, it's not about stats, or how many top 10 hits Tupac had. Same with your stats on Maxwell, it doesn't matter. Tupac and Maxwell, it's about keeping it real. When you see Max on the court and you yell his name, he'll recognize. players these days don't even respond. they ignore fans, Maxwell didn't ignore. He kept it real. Like in Tupac's song, So Many Tears Inside my mind couldn't find a place to rest until I got that Thug Life tatted on my chest Tell me can you feel me? I'm not livin in the past, you wanna last There's no stat BlackKnight that counts how that effects a person when they hear those lyrics, like there's no stat when you see Max play Defense or hit game winners Here's when he locked down Reggie Miller. Paper: HOUSTON CHRONICLE Date: SUN 01/24/1993 Section: Sports Page: 1 Edition: 3 STAR Rockets pummel Pacers/Maxwell's defense keys 113-100 win By EDDIE SEFKO Staff INDIANAPOLIS -- All it took for the red-hot Rockets to fire up their eighth consecutive victory was Vernon Maxwell putting Indiana's Reggie Miller on ice. The last two times the Rockets had come to Market Square Arena, Miller scored 66 points in two Indiana wins. Saturday night, Maxwell held Miller to his worst scoring night of the season as the Rockets pounded the Pacers 113-100. Miller had only four points on 1-for-12 shooting. The win pushed the Rockets to 22-16, matching their high-water mark for the season. They also were six games over .500 on Dec. 19 when they were 13-7. The Rockets' minister of defense has been -- and will be -- Hakeem Olajuwon. But Maxwell, who is learning he can be as vital to the Rockets on defense as he is offensively, has become an able sidekick to Olajuwon. After Saturday's effort, coach Rudy Tomjanovich said Maxwell should be a contender for the all-defensive team. "I think the guy has got to be considered for the all-defensive team," Tomjanovich said. "He never has an easy night against shooting guards around the league. But he's done the job. "Those guys set so many screens for Miller. He's one of the toughest guys in the league to guard. But Max was just fantastic." Miller had reached double figures in every game this season before Saturday. Never mind that Joe Dumars had 32 points against Maxwell on Thursday. This was a different night, and Maxwell was glued to Miller for 2 1/2 quarters before Pacers coach Bob Hill gave up and sat Miller. Maxwell was happy with his effort. "I feel like the way I'm playing defense, I should be recognized as one of the top defensive guards in the league," Maxwell said. "I'm giving up three or four inches and 15 or 20 pounds every night. "Tonight, the coaches were telling me before the game I had my work cut out for me. "But I put a blanket on him. He didn't get any real good looks at the basket."
Tupac was a great rapper and a cultural icon in the 90's...Max was a role player on a Rockets team led by Hakeem Olajuwon....BIG DIFFERENCE But I do understand that Max had a toughness about him and an edge...but as far as basketball goes, he could've shot better and personally, his personal life was quite disturbing...I simply can't ignore that. I've always given Max credit on defense...when have I not?? I think he was a very good defender. Ohh ya, this is a thread about how Tracy McGrady went from being a bench player to a star in this league. This aint about Vernon Maxwell being Mr. basketball Florida and an all state defensive back, or how Tupac kept things real and how max didn't ignore fans...which every athlete learns how to do. So why you bring Maxwell into this...I have no idea...you can reply to may last post in the "Yao in his Prime" thread...I know you'll have something to say about that if you read it. I was simply posting about Tmac and how and why he was able to become a very good player in this league.
I simply had trivia question, you happen to get the answer right. Rockets having talented athletes? yeah, we had one who could have been Deon Sanders Part deux.
i'd like to see reaction of blacks, if some white man would post something like this. you fckin racist, clutch is the administrator of this site, he is white i guess and i think he knows about sport of basketball a little bit more than you. whats wrong with being white and talking about sports anyway? most of the analysts are white
