Cedric Maxwell facts for kids
Cedric Maxwell in 2022
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 21, 1955 Kinston, North Carolina, U.S. |
| High school | Kinston (Kinston, North Carolina) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Charlotte (1973–1977) |
| NBA Draft | 1977 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12th overall |
| Selected by the Boston Celtics | |
| Pro career | 1977–1988 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1977–1985 | Boston Celtics |
| 1985–1987 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 1987–1988 | Houston Rockets |
| As coach: | |
| 1996 | Long Island Surf |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
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| Career statistics | |
| Points | 10,465 (12.5 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 5,261 (6.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,862 (2.2 apg) |
Cedric Bryan Maxwell (born November 21, 1955) is a former American professional basketball player. He is now a radio broadcaster. People often called him "Cornbread." He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cedric played a very important part in helping the Boston Celtics win two championships.
Before joining the NBA, Cedric played college basketball. He led the UNC Charlotte 49ers to the NCAA Final Four in 1977. After college, the Boston Celtics picked him in the 1977 NBA Draft. In his first year, he came off the bench as a substitute.
For the 1978–1979 season, Cedric became a starting small forward. The team didn't win many games that year, but Cedric was a bright spot. The next year, Larry Bird joined the Celtics. This started a big comeback for the team. They became one of the best teams in the 1980s.
In the 1980–1981 season, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale joined Cedric and Larry. That year, the Celtics won the NBA championship. Cedric Maxwell was named the Finals MVP.
Over the next few seasons, Cedric and Kevin McHale competed for the starting power forward spot. Kevin McHale eventually won the job. Before the 1985–1986 season, Cedric was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He played for the Clippers for about a season and a half. Then, in the middle of the 1986–1987 season, he was traded to the Houston Rockets. He finished his career with the Rockets, retiring after the 1987–1988 season. He scored over 10,000 points in his career.
After retiring from playing, Cedric briefly coached the Long Island Surf team. Then he started a new career in radio. Since 2001, he has been a color commentator for Celtics radio broadcasts. In 2003, the Celtics honored him by retiring his jersey number 31. This means no other Celtics player will wear that number again.
Contents
College Basketball Journey
Cedric Maxwell was a star forward and center for the UNC Charlotte 49ers. He is ranked sixth all-time in points scored for the 49ers. In 1977, his No. 33 jersey was retired. This happened when he led UNC Charlotte to the NCAA Final Four, a major college basketball tournament.
After his successful college career, Cedric was the 12th player chosen in the 1977 NBA draft. The Boston Celtics picked him. He played for the Celtics for eight of his eleven seasons in the NBA. During his time at UNC Charlotte, he also joined the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
Playing in the NBA
Cedric Maxwell made a big impact in his second season with the Celtics. The 1978–79 NBA season was tough for Boston. They were waiting for Larry Bird to join the team. But Cedric, playing as a power forward, averaged 19.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
The Celtics only won 29 games and lost 53 that year. However, Cedric's strong play showed great promise. With Larry Bird joining, the team was set to become a powerful force in the NBA.
Cedric was known for his smart moves close to the basket. He was very good at playing in the low post area. He would trick defenders into jumping, then make easy shots. Sometimes he would even get a foul, leading to free throws. He often used a jump-hook shot or went up against the backboard.
Cedric rarely took long-range shots. His teammates like Bird or Tiny Archibald handled those. This helped the Celtics have a balanced offense. They had a strong inside game that was hard for other teams to stop.
Cedric was not only a great scorer but also a fun player to watch. He performed very well in important playoff games. He was named MVP of the 1981 NBA Finals. Three years later, he scored 24 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in the final game of the 1984 NBA Finals. The Celtics won that game.
Before that game, he famously told his teammates, "climb on my back, boys." This meant he would carry the team to victory. Cedric also showed his playful side in that series. He made fun of Lakers forward James Worthy for missing free throws. He also joked about Kurt Rambis before Game 4.
The next season, Cedric had an injury. He lost his starting spot to Kevin McHale. Kevin had been coming off the bench for two seasons. He was on his way to winning his second Sixth Man of the Year award.
On September 6, 1985, Cedric was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Celtics received Bill Walton in return. Cedric played for the Clippers for a season and a half. In January 1987, he was traded again, this time to the Houston Rockets. He finished his career with the Rockets. He retired after the 1987–88 NBA season. He ended his career with 10,465 points and 5,261 rebounds. This averages out to 12.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Life After Basketball
On December 15, 2003, Cedric Maxwell's jersey number 31 was retired by the Celtics. He was the 22nd former Celtic to receive this honor. Today, he works as a radio broadcaster for WBZ-FM in Boston. He has been announcing Boston Celtics games with Sean Grande since 2001. He lives in Weston, Massachusetts.
He also used to be a frequent guest on sports talk radio shows like The Big Show. In June 2013, Grande and Maxwell started a new show called Celtics Summer Cooler. This show gives weekly updates on the Celtics during the offseason.
In 2007, Cedric faced criticism for comments he made on air. He was unhappy with a referee and made a comment that was not appropriate. He later apologized for what he said. In 2010, Cedric mentioned on a radio show that he was interested in a coaching job at Charlotte. He hoped the school would at least give him an interview.
How He Got His Nickname
Cedric Maxwell got his nickname "Cornbread" from his college teammate Melvin Watkins. They went to see a movie called Cornbread, Earl and Me. The movie was about a young boy who was sad after his friend, a basketball star, was murdered. Melvin thought Cedric looked like the main character, played by Jamaal Wilkes. So, he started calling him Cornbread.
Cedric didn't like the nickname at first. It didn't become widely used until he was named MVP of the 1976 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). According to Melvin, "The New York media picked up on [the nickname]." After that, everyone started calling him Cornbread.
Career statistics
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977–78 | Boston | 72 | 16.8 | .538 | .752 | 5.3 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 7.3 | ||
| 1978–79 | Boston | 80 | 37.1 | .584* | .802 | 9.9 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 19.0 | ||
| 1979–80 | Boston | 80 | 80 | 34.3 | .609* | .787 | 8.8 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16.9 | |
| 1980–81† | Boston | 81 | 81 | 33.7 | .588 | .000 | .782 | 6.5 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 15.2 |
| 1981–82 | Boston | 78 | 73 | 33.2 | .548 | .000 | .747 | 6.4 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 14.8 |
| 1982–83 | Boston | 79 | 71 | 28.5 | .499 | .000 | .812 | 5.3 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 11.9 |
| 1983–84† | Boston | 80 | 78 | 31.3 | .532 | .167 | .753 | 5.8 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 11.9 |
| 1984–85 | Boston | 57 | 51 | 26.2 | .533 | .000 | .831 | 4.2 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 11.1 |
| 1985–86 | L.A. Clippers | 76 | 72 | 32.3 | .475 | .000 | .795 | 8.2 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 14.1 |
| 1986–87 | L.A. Clippers/Houston | 81 | 31 | 24.3 | .530 | .000 | .775 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 10.0 |
| 1987–88 | Houston | 71 | 0 | 11.9 | .468 | .000 | .769 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 3.8 |
| Career | 835 | 537 | 28.5 | .546 | .053 | .784 | 6.3 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 12.5 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Boston | 9 | 35.6 | .634 | .754 | 10.0 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 18.2 | ||
| 1981† | Boston | 17 | 35.2 | .580 | .818 | 7.4 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 16.1 | ||
| 1982 | Boston | 12 | 32.1 | .517 | .714 | 7.3 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 14.5 | ||
| 1983 | Boston | 7 | 35.1 | .527 | .842 | 7.3 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 12.9 | ||
| 1984† | Boston | 23 | 32.7 | .503 | .000 | .779 | 5.2 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 11.9 | |
| 1985 | Boston | 20 | 0 | 11.9 | .488 | .791 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 3.8 | |
| 1987 | Houston | 10 | 0 | 17.7 | .529 | .000 | .743 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 6.2 |
| 1988 | Houston | 4 | 0 | 3.8 | .500 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | ||
| Career | 102 | 0 | 26.8 | .545 | .000 | .777 | 5.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 10.9 | |
See also
In Spanish: Cedric Maxwell para niños
- List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders
