Two Time NBA Champion, Vernon Maxwell, sits down to answer your questions. From NBA rivalries, to strip clubs, to moving to Utah, Mad Max reveals all in this exclusive Q&A, brought to you by Bovada!
Q: Who has the worst form in the league?
A: “Tyreese Haliburton. It is perfected. He has one of the worst I have ever seen. But he is an All-Star. You can’t argue that.”
Q: Who’s the most underrated player right now? How about all-time?
A: “Domantas Sabonis. Can score on the block, and bring it up the floor. Consistent rebounder. Hell of a passer and is a difference maker. Of all-time? This will surprise some but for me, it would be Andrew Toney from the 76ers. Came off the bench and would light your ass off. Gritty, could shoot it. A bonafide scorer.”
Q: What’s the biggest NBA rivalry that’s never talked about?
A: “Houston and Seattle are a rivalry well forgotten. A tough matchup for us. Even matches up across the board. It was tough every year in the playoffs against Seattle. A dogfight every time.”
Q: Out of the top 5 teams in each conference, which will choke in the playoffs and why?
A: “The Knicks for obvious reasons. The way they play, they are not equipped to get over that hump with their personnel. If they make it, they don’t make it far. I don’t see that changing. Have not been able to do it since Pat was there.
The Grizzlies out of the west are the more likely team to fall. Too many distractions and injuries. It is hard when Steven Adams and JJJ are both not consistently playing. It seems like Ja’s approach to the game seems to be different from his intensity on the court since he has returned from the suspension. He was a killer before, and he is still playing well, but he does not look like the same player before he got caught up in that bullshit.”
Q: Who is the player to be the next Jordan/Kobe/Lebron/Magic?
A: “Luka will be the next one. He is young but he is an excellent passer and scorer. He is young enough and has the size to be the next leader of this new generation. He has to begin to defend and at 24, doing what he does is special. It’s hard to contain emotions and he has to find a way to stay calm. I know that sounds crazy coming from me! The Mavericks need him every game.”
Q: What are your thoughts on Dillon Brooks?
A: “Shit he’s agitated. He gets under people’s skin. I like the way he plays, he is a competitor. He doesn’t care who he plays against. He makes you get out of character. He does stuff that nobody else would do on the court. I love that he does that shit. Same shit I used to do on the court.”
Q: What are your thoughts on Draymond Green?
A: “Love his game. He does his job and knows how to get under your skin. Great defender and a hell of a passer. He’s the dirty man who does what is asked of him. I love him, he’s the reason that engine continues to run in Golden State. Without him, they would not be where they are now.”
Q: What are your thoughts on Kendrick Perkins as an analyst?
A: “He comes straight from the hip, He always will tell you what he needs to tell you. You’ll watch what you say about him because he’ll come after you. He’s genuine about everything he says. I can at least say that. That’s why I think he does a great job. Even if I don’t agree with everything. He always comes from an honest place.”
Q: What does Ja Morant need to do to win back his fans?
A: “Just stay out of the way. Play ball, the same thing we came into the league to do. We sometimes forget how good we got it and how easy it is to get back on track when you are playing well. He just has to get back to doing what he does, playing ball. Staying out of the news and everything will fall into place.”
Q: Can you talk about the popularity of NBA players going to strip clubs? How big of a thing was this back when you played?
A: “It was worse when we played. In every city we went to we went looking for strip clubs. All of us, the whole team were looking for strippers, from the top to the bottom. It’s only a few players per team now. When I played it was all of us.”
Q: Do you agree with Damian Lillard in this video? Has the NBA become a league of entitlement and guys who only care about their social media? What do you think of all that?
A: “Yeah, I think social media has caught up with the young, as far as it is a distraction. When I came in to the league, you came in to become a superstar, make money, and were expected to play hard. That is why we came in. They like to put on fashion shows for social media. They rather put on these big ass clothes and show off for social media and not play as hard for the fans that paid to see them and that’s a problem.”
Q: How many games would it have taken your ’94 team to beat the Bulls if MJ hadn’t chickened out?
A: “It would have gone seven games, well matched. But Dream would have pulled us through.”
Q: If the Rockets would’ve kept their same squad after the 1995 season (kept you and not traded Sam, Horry, etc.) how many more rings could they have won?
A: “We could have won about one more just with the way the landscape of the NBA was set up.”
Q: Who is your favorite Utah Jazz player you’ve played against?
A: “Without a doubt, Karl Malone.”
Q: Who is your least favorite Jazz player of all time?
A: “Dirty ass Jon Stockton.”
Q: Would you rather move to Utah permanently or lose a body part of your choice?
A: “Man, gotta lose that arm or leg, that is not a question!”
Q: Alright Vernon, I have to know. Would you rather fight sharks with laser beams or bears with chainsaw hands? Denny’s parking lot, one on one…
A: “Bears with the chainsaw hands. Fuck that, I’ll be ready for his ass!”
Q: What is Sam Cassell up to these days?
A: “Head coaching job is what he is aspiring for. He has an interview with the Rockets coming up. We had a great interview when we talked about developing John Wall and Tyrese Maxey. Think he would be the perfect fit with the guards there and be able to relate and the city would fully embrace him and I would be at every game!”
Q: How hard did Mad Max party on Richmond Ave back in the 1990s?
A: “Hard as hell. Shiiit. Tried to kill himself often. I had too much fun for too many years on Rich Ave.”
Q: Who’s winning the championship this year?
A: “The champion will be the Denver Nuggets.”
Q: Who’s the one player you wished you got to play with?
A: “The one player I wish I could have played with would be Michael Jordan. We would have been unstoppable!”
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