"I thought I killed the MF" - Vernon Maxwell recalls hitting a teammate with a dumbbell for stealing from him

Throughout his 13-year NBA career, Vernon Maxwell developed a reputation as a volatile individual. Despite his modest stature compared to NBA standards, "Mad Max" wasn't afraid to get into it with anyone.

Vernon's combative nature wasn't only limited to off-court incidents; the retired guard revealed that his most extreme altercation involved assaulting a teammate with a dumbbell, which could've ended in a tragedy.

Maxwell vs. Herrera

During his appearance on Rasheed Wallace's podcast, "Mad Max" recalled his most egregious physical altercation during his playing days. It happened after Vernon learned his teammate Carl Herrera was stealing from him.

While most individuals would opt for dialogue to resolve such conflicts, Maxwell went a different route. While the 6'9" forward was in the weight room, Vernon struck him in the head with a dumbbell. He recalled being very afraid in the aftermath of the incident after realizing the potential consequences of his actions.

"Big 6'9" MF stole off on me (in) the locker room. He's from Venezuela. But I'm from motherfuc*ing hood… you better watch back. I'm gonna f**k you up. I'mma get you a**," Maxwell said . "That's what happened… he went in the weight room and saw the five-pound dumbbell, he was on the bench (doing chest exercise) and I clipped his damn head open with a five-pound dumbbell. That sh* t was crazy... I thought I was going to prison… I was scared, I thought I killed the MF."

No stranger to fighting teammates

Interestingly, Herrera was not the only teammate Maxwell knocked out. During his tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, he also lost his temper when Gary Payton showed little empathy towards Shammond Williams during a team practice. "The Glove" did not anticipate Maxwell losing control, physically confronting him, and knocking him to the floor in front of the team owner, general manager, and coach Paul Westphal.

So, even though it always took something to prompt Vernon to opt for violence, once he became angry, the 6'4" guard unleashed his fury without any restraints. Both Payton and Herrera, unfortunately, experienced this firsthand.

Related: "Tough as nails, getting knocked all over the place, never missed a game" - Vernon Maxwell recalls playing with Allen Iverson