Mad Max on Mike: "I wanted to fight him"

[Laimbeer]

"I wanted to fight him, really," said Vernon Maxwell.

"I tell everybody 'Google it,' " Maxwell said. "Michael Jordan goes around telling everybody we never would have won the two championships if he wouldn't have went and tried to play baseball. I say just Google the times we played them. They couldn't beat us. It was like we couldn't beat Seattle. If we could have gotten past Seattle, we would have knocked Chicago off. We were a team they couldn't match up with. I hear what he's saying. I hear what everybody is saying. But I just don't believe it. Just Google it and the numbers don't lie."

"(Jordan) used to talk to me all the time during the games," Maxwell said. "He'd say: 'Aw Max, this is what the media wants to see. Don't mess anything up. Don't do this. You don't have to do that. Why you doing this? Let's just play the game.' That's why I knew I was under his skin. Oh yes, I know it."

http://www.nba.com/2015/news/features/f ... el-jordan/

[Johnny Firpo]

We'll never know.

[Sofa King]

I recall an interview even Jordan admitted they didn't have an answer for Olajuwon

[jokeboy86]

Maxwell wanted to fight everybody.

[baki]

Head to head,

- Michael Jordan , 17 games with 11 wins and 6 losses
- Vernon Maxwell, 17 games with 6 wins and 11 losses

Jordan scored less than 20 points against this guy just once while averaging 30 ppg, and they both averaged around the same number of TOs (2.5).

So no, Maxwell had no effect on Jordan whatsoever.

[GinWeary]

I recall an interview even Jordan admitted they didn't have an answer for Olajuwon

What team did have an answer for him though? If Olajuwon was capable of besting Shaq routinely, there wasn't a team in the league that could have an answer for him in a seven game series.

It is unfortunate that we never got to see that series play out. There are too many "what if's" involved if Michael hadn't retired, but it is fun to think about. I would like to think the Bulls would've beaten them both times, but I wouldn't be surprised if Houston won one of them.

[baki]

David Robinson's head to head record against Olajuwon from 93 to 95 (the 2 years that Houston won) was better (7-4), but Olajuwon obviously enjoyed better results winning championships.

I recall an interview even Jordan admitted they didn't have an answer for Olajuwon

What team did have an answer for him though? If Olajuwon was capable of besting Shaq routinely, there wasn't a team in the league that could have an answer for him in a seven game series.

One has to remember that a lot of the better teams were getting old or rebuilding and elite players were getting old or dropping like flies (Magic, Bird, Thomas etc). The Knicks after the finals were done. Shaq was only 22 at the time and Penny was just 23 with barely a chance to show up again in the finals when Jordan came back for good in 95-96.

Timing had everything to do with Houston catching a very good break, otherwise they would have made the finals several times over when the competition was a lot stronger before 93 and after 95.

[PKABOOICU]

id love to see a 2 on 2 of ruben patterson and vernon maxwell vs kobe and jordan

[-Sammy-]

Olajuwon's two-year playoff peak was as good as anyone's ever has been; I still can't think about the way he housed Robinson in the '95 WCF without getting depressed all over again. He would have been extra-motivated to show he was on MJ's level if the two teams had met in the Finals.

[Blackfyre]

Rockets in those two years would have gone against Chicago without Grant or Rodman. That's a major disadvantage against peak Olajuwon. Jordan taking 2 years of rest is probably the reason they won the next 3 championships. You can't have it both ways.

[Zubby]

I recall an interview even Jordan admitted they didn't have an answer for Olajuwon

What team did have an answer for him though? If Olajuwon was capable of besting Shaq routinely, there wasn't a team in the league that could have an answer for him in a seven game series.

It is unfortunate that we never got to see that series play out. There are too many "what if's" involved if Michael hadn't retired, but it is fun to think about. I would like to think the Bulls would've beaten them both times, but I wouldn't be surprised if Houston won one of them.

Olajuwon and Jordan had no equals... everyone the media claimed to be their rivals those two guys destroyed.
Olajuwon has the better regular season head to head record, but yea its not the same.


This summer they should have a 1v1 Olajuwon v. Jordan matchup. I would watch that even though they are old and Dream would beat Jordan pretty easy now. Because of the size advantage.

[Art Vandelay]

It's the great unanswered question of 1990s basketball. I'm a Bulls fan but I love and respect Hakeem. It's a toss up to me, but.. I've also never seen MJ lose in the Finals.

Really just not sure who would stop The Dream.

[RatherUnique]

It's the great unanswered question of 1990s basketball. I'm a Bulls fan but I love and respect Hakeem. It's a toss up to me, but.. I've also never seen MJ lose in the Finals.

Really just not sure who would stop The Dream.

In '96 Shaq & Penny combined to average 52 In the conference finals and were still swept by the Bulls.

To take down Chicago, you would need a LOT more than just one guy going off

[BallerTalk]

Head to head,

- Michael Jordan , 17 games with 11 wins and 6 losses
- Vernon Maxwell, 17 games with 6 wins and 11 losses

Jordan scored less than 20 points against this guy just once while averaging 30 ppg, and they both averaged around the same number of TOs (2.5).

So no, Maxwell had no effect on Jordan whatsoever.

Ha ha, silly Baki, did you include stats from when Maxwell was in San Antonio and Philly?
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that was an accidental oversight and not another foolish attempt in your never-ending campaign the hate on the Rockets.
Next time remember to stick to the topic at hand.

Now to that which Maxwell was referring:
According to NBA.com during the time Maxwell was with the Rockets (1990-95) the Rockets were 8-4 against the Bulls.
More specifically, they were 6-2 against the Bulls from 90-93 (the period Jordan was in Chicago and Maxwell was in Houston simultaneously.) Chicago never won a season series against Houston during that time.
This should come as no surprise to die-hard NBA fans as it has long been a popular piece of trivia that the Rockets are one of only 2 teams to have a winning record against the Bulls during the Jordan era.

So yeah, like Maxwell said, his Rockets team did quite well against Mike's Bulls.

[MrKnox]

Head to head,

- Michael Jordan , 17 games with 11 wins and 6 losses
- Vernon Maxwell, 17 games with 6 wins and 11 losses

Jordan scored less than 20 points against this guy just once while averaging 30 ppg, and they both averaged around the same number of TOs (2.5).

So no, Maxwell had no effect on Jordan whatsoever.

Ha ha, silly Baki, did you include stats from when Maxwell was in San Antonio and Philly?
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that was an accidental oversight and not another foolish attempt in your never-ending campaign the hate on the Rockets.
Next time remember to stick to the topic at hand.

Now to that which Maxwell was referring:
According to NBA.com during the time Maxwell was with the Rockets (1990-95) the Rockets were 8-4 against the Bulls.
More specifically, they were 6-2 against the Bulls from 90-93 (the period Jordan was in Chicago and Maxwell was in Houston simultaneously.) Chicago never won a season series against Houston during that time.
This should come as no surprise to die-hard NBA fans as it has long been a popular piece of trivia that the Rockets are one of only 2 teams to have a winning record against the Bulls during the Jordan era.

So yeah, like Maxwell said, his Rockets team did quite well against Mike's Bulls.

Doesn't mean squat. The Cavaliers swept the Bulls during the 1988-89 regular season 6 games to 0 I believe. The last time they met during the regular season was a game in Chicago were the Cavs rested their starters and Cleveland's second team crushed Chicago. However, in the playoffs that year Chicago won 3-2 with Jordan hitting his famous "shot" to win the series in five. Playoffs are a different animal.

[Al Swearengen]

Rockets in those two years would have gone against Chicago without Grant or Rodman. That's a major disadvantage against peak Olajuwon. Jordan taking 2 years of rest is probably the reason they won the next 3 championships. You can't have it both ways.

Grant was still with the Bulls in 94.

That 94 team would have been loaded with Jordan. They still had the old guard like Grant, Armstrong, Pax, and Cartwright, but had also added Kerr, Longley, and Kukoc. 94 Bulls with a prime MJ would have won 65+ games, strolled to the Finals, and then you're talking about whether you think Michael Jordan loses a Finals in his prime with that team.

[qm22]

"I wanted to fight him, really," said Vernon Maxwell.

"I tell everybody 'Google it,' " Maxwell said. "Michael Jordan goes around telling everybody we never would have won the two championships if he wouldn't have went and tried to play baseball. I say just Google the times we played them. They couldn't beat us. It was like we couldn't beat Seattle. If we could have gotten past Seattle, we would have knocked Chicago off. We were a team they couldn't match up with. I hear what he's saying. I hear what everybody is saying. But I just don't believe it. Just Google it and the numbers don't lie."

"(Jordan) used to talk to me all the time during the games," Maxwell said. "He'd say: 'Aw Max, this is what the media wants to see. Don't mess anything up. Don't do this. You don't have to do that. Why you doing this? Let's just play the game.' That's why I knew I was under his skin. Oh yes, I know it."

http://www.nba.com/2015/news/features/f ... el-jordan/

I find the bolded the most interesting part by far. It's extremely incongruent with his image to imagine him saying that. It's rare to here someone say that in a rec game. Maybe a psychological gimmick to try and lower his man's competitiveness, but whatever the reason, its pretty funny.

[chitownsports4ever]

Head to head,

- Michael Jordan , 17 games with 11 wins and 6 losses
- Vernon Maxwell, 17 games with 6 wins and 11 losses

Jordan scored less than 20 points against this guy just once while averaging 30 ppg, and they both averaged around the same number of TOs (2.5).

So no, Maxwell had no effect on Jordan whatsoever.

Ha ha, silly Baki, did you include stats from when Maxwell was in San Antonio and Philly?
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that was an accidental oversight and not another foolish attempt in your never-ending campaign the hate on the Rockets.
Next time remember to stick to the topic at hand.

Now to that which Maxwell was referring:
According to NBA.com during the time Maxwell was with the Rockets (1990-95) the Rockets were 8-4 against the Bulls.
More specifically, they were 6-2 against the Bulls from 90-93 (the period Jordan was in Chicago and Maxwell was in Houston simultaneously.) Chicago never won a season series against Houston during that time.
This should come as no surprise to die-hard NBA fans as it has long been a popular piece of trivia that the Rockets are one of only 2 teams to have a winning record against the Bulls during the Jordan era.

So yeah, like Maxwell said, his Rockets team did quite well against Mike's Bulls.

The playoffs are much different the Bulls were the definition of the team that turned it on come playoffs .

As I said on a different thread you can talk all the smack you want when you only get to see him twice a season . Maxwell and his mouth wouldve wrote a check that his Rockets teammates would not have been able to cash . Hakeem wouldve been great but those Rockets teams would not have had enough offense to beat the Bulls in a 7 game series and the Bulls defense with MJ wouldve been the best they had seen .

I love the Dream but he alone wouldnt have been enough.

[BallerTalk]

Ha ha, silly Baki, did you include stats from when Maxwell was in San Antonio and Philly?
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that was an accidental oversight and not another foolish attempt in your never-ending campaign the hate on the Rockets.
Next time remember to stick to the topic at hand.

Now to that which Maxwell was referring:
According to NBA.com during the time Maxwell was with the Rockets (1990-95) the Rockets were 8-4 against the Bulls.
More specifically, they were 6-2 against the Bulls from 90-93 (the period Jordan was in Chicago and Maxwell was in Houston simultaneously.) Chicago never won a season series against Houston during that time.
This should come as no surprise to die-hard NBA fans as it has long been a popular piece of trivia that the Rockets are one of only 2 teams to have a winning record against the Bulls during the Jordan era.

So yeah, like Maxwell said, his Rockets team did quite well against Mike's Bulls.

Doesn't mean squat. The Cavaliers swept the Bulls during the 1988-89 regular season 6 games to 0 I believe. The last time they met during the regular season was a game in Chicago were the Cavs rested their starters and Cleveland's second team crushed Chicago. However, in the playoffs that year Chicago won 3-2 with Jordan hitting his famous "shot" to win the series in five. Playoffs are a different animal.

That the playoffs are "a different animal" as you put it is what makes the question entertaining but unanswerable. It's all speculation.
But for the purpose of Maxwell's comments, given the info that IS available he has a legitimate reason to feel as he does.
By the way, those Cavs never had a player the caliber of Olajuwon. I think that matters a little.

[BallerTalk]

The playoffs are much different the Bulls were the definition of the team that turned it on come playoffs ....and the Bulls defense with MJ wouldve been the best they had seen .

I addressed the "playoffs are different" issue above but I have to question your assertion that the Bulls defense would have been the best the Rockets had seen. The Knicks team they defeated was one of the best defensive teams of any era.