Vernon Maxwell was called "Mad Max" for a reason. As talented as he was, especially during his time in Houston, where he spent six seasons and won two titles, Maxwell was known for his fiery temper and quick trigger when talking trash. And one of his most infamous encounters was with none other than the GOAT, Michael Jordan .
Maxwell, a 6-foot-4 guard from Gainesville, Florida, never backed down from anyone. Whether the opponent was a superstar or a scrub, Vernon always had his foot on the gas pedal and pushed it as hard as possible. However, he always maintained a healthy respect for "His Airness," who he considered the greatest basketball player he had ever seen.
However, there was one moment he wanted to beat MJ down, and he narrated this story on "Club 520."
Spun and disappeared
According to the 13-year veteran, he guarded Mike when the Chicago Bulls came to town. He was well-rested after getting a good night's worth of sleep and was up to the challenge of slowing the "Black Cat" down. However, despite Maxwell's preparations, Jordan still found a way to score on him.
"Mike was the best player ever, man. That ni*** dunked on me one day. We were in Houston, and he spun on me. I was like, 'Oh Lord.' That motherf***** just disappeared,'" Mad Max shared .
Vernon said that apart from MJ's unreal athleticism, he was also bull-strong and had massive hands that allowed him to keep possession despite the defender's efforts to pry the ball away from his hands. Maxwell said what happened next was nothing short of spectacular.
"That man spun on me, and he took off. And you know that damn Jumpman on the bottom of his shoes? That was right in my face," Vernon admitted.
However, that wasn't the end of it. Seemingly intent on getting under Maxwell's skin, Jordan followed the latter back down the floor and tapped his ass. This riled Vernon up some more.
"He came back, he came up behind me, and the ni*** hit me on my as*. I said, 'Oh no, bi*** ass ni***, don't put your goddamn hands on me.' After that, 'Don't put your hands on me, Mike, I'll beat your ass. Now I love you, game, but don't put your goddamn hands on me,'" Maxwell stated.
Fortunately, nothing escalated afterward, as Mad Max knew MJ was just messing with him.
Related: "Frequently it was heated" — Steve Kerr claims Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen's conversations in practice usually had tension
Vernon's wife loved it when Jordan came to town
While opposing teams were scared of the five-time MVP when he came to visit them on their homecourt, one person who relished Jordan's presence was Vernon's wife. According to Maxwell, he wasn't fond of staying at home. But whenever MJ was on the schedule, he would be at home, getting as much rest as possible.
"I used to stay home; my wife used to be glad for that when Mike came to town 'cause I really never used to stay home. My wife used to be glad when Mike came; she'd say, 'Oh, this ni*** look at his as* now, 'cause Mike is here. Look at this ni*** now, he's gonna lay his as* down,'" Vernon recalled.
Mad Max was one of the feistiest players to ever lace them up in the NBA. But as hard as he played Jordan, he knew better than to mess with the GOAT's court presence. He competed hard but maintained a healthy respect for the six-time champ.
Related: "I sat and watched that MF in the layup line" - Vernon Maxwell reveals his mind games against MJ
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