NBA: 20 Past Players That Would Have Owned Twitter
By Bill Speros
13. Vernon Maxwell
Vernon Maxwell, a.k.a. “Mad Max,” played for eight different teams from 1988-2001. Luckily for a player whose nickname included the word “Mad,” the advent of social media and his playing career barely missed each other in the shipping lanes of history.
He’s perhaps known for his role as a do-it-all cog with the NBA championship Houston Rockets in 1994-95. Like so many others on this list, Maxwell was a terrific talent, especially when it came to big moments. His defensive play against Michael Jordan ranked among the best ever.
"“I wanted to fight him, really,” said Maxwell of Jordan in a 2015 interview. “That’s what I really wanted to do.”"
He also scoffed at the idea that the Rockets won championships because Jordan went to play baseball?
"“Google it,” said Maxwell. “I say just Google the times we played them. They couldn’t beat us. Like we couldn’t beat Seattle? If we get past Seattle, we get to the championship and we knock Chicago off. We were a team they couldn’t match up against.”"
His nickname was well-earned. In 1994, he cursed out his own fans at the start of the playoffs. The next year, he one-upped himself by punching a fan in the stands and faking an injury. His personal life was full of potential trending topics on Twitter.
He once pulled out a gun in a fit of road rage. He filed for bankruptcy in 1998. He signed a $5 million contract with Seattle in 2000, but was jailed for five days in 2004 in Gainesville, Fla., because he owed $150,000 in back child support.
That was AFTER he was extradited from Cobb County, Ga., after being charged with kidnapping and aggravated assault.
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