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“If you going to portray me, I get it, but just do the whole story,” he told the Globe. “You cannot mention me in your story and not say I was the Finals MVP. You can’t mention me in your story and then don’t say in 1984, ‘climb on my back.’ ”
Maxwell told his teammates he would lead them to the promised land in Game 7 of the 1984 NBA Finals, telling them to “climb on my back, boys.”
Maxwell scored 24 points on 14-for-17 shooting from the free throw line in Boston’s 111-102 win over the Lakers.
“Those things were omitted and it wasn’t cool,” said Maxwell, a longtime Celtics radio analyst and still a wildly popular figure. “They edited it the way they wanted to edit it. They wrote their own story. … It doesn’t depict my whole story. And I know the story isn’t totally about me. But if you do the ‘Celtics City’ and you don’t mention that …”
After the premier of “Celtics City” in Boston, majority governor Wyc Grousbeck called Maxwell to the audience and reminded them that he won the Finals MVP in 1981. In that series win against the Rockets, Maxwell led the Celtics in scoring and shot nearly 57 percent from the field. Larry Bird, in his second season, struggled from the field (41 percent) but also averaged 15 rebounds.
“What Larry did was so great, he did other things for his team,” Maxwell said. “If you’re playing with some of the greats that have ever played and I’m not saying I’m Scottie Pippen, but Scottie Pippen will never get his due for what he did. Now he’s looked at as a malcontent if he says anything that might be different or he doesn’t get down and kiss Michael Jordan’s ring.”
Maxwell said his issues aren’t with the adulation for Bird. The two have had their issues in the past, when Bird said Maxwell’s lack of focus cost them the ’85 title. But they have reconciled and there is a healthy respect on both sides.
“I don’t really have anything to say [negatively] about Larry, I like Larry,” Maxwell said. “We are totally different people. Larry likes beer. I like sodas. Larry likes to hunt. I like to go to the zoo. He goes to fish, I go to the fish market. Being on the stage with great teams and great players, you can always feel slighted. I understand that but I’m just speaking out on it.
“A lot of people don’t like me, they always think I’m complaining or I’m jealous of Larry. I’m not. Larry Bird is one of the greatest players to ever play the game and I appreciate that I played with him. But I’m sure he appreciates the fact he played with me too. But for [the documentary] to paint that picture about what happened and not put this in or that in, it bothered me.”
Maxwell wanted to point out that he dealt with a painful left knee injury during the 1984-85 season that hampered his performance. He told the Globe he had to work out extensively after that season just to get the knee in condition for the trade to the Clippers to be approved. He would play three more seasons, finishing his career with the Rockets. Maxwell said the knee never fully healed.
“In that [Celtics] locker room, you can go from player to player and they’ll tell you I was one of the most competitive players that they played with,” Maxwell said. “When you play with a Larry Bird, Larry could go 100 percent in every game and that wasn’t in my gene pool. There were games where I’m going to get through this game and I’m OK with it, I don’t have to go out and destroy this guy. My focus was on those bigger games on that big stage and I performed well.
“When you play with a guy [that goes] to the wall 100 percent of the time, you look like you might be a little lazy and not caring as much. I knew I cared about the game as much as anybody on my team. My teammates would tell you that. When I got hurt in ’84 and as the season progressed on and my knee became even more sore and then in a game in LA, I could not straighten my knee out. When I got back to Boston, I had surgery. I had a tear in the cartilage. They said my knee would be fine but it wasn’t. It never recouped.”
After years away from the organization following his retirement, Maxwell was approached about taking the radio analyst job by then-general manager Jan Volk. But that required meeting with Auerbach and expressing remorse about his departure a decade earlier.
“The people around that thought I wasn’t hurt, they were wrong,” Maxwell said. “I had an unbelievable career. I’m not pissed off. I’m not jealous. I’m just stating facts. If you don’t want facts to get in the way, then you don’t need to listen. I know what my contribution was to this team and others do, too.”
Cedric Maxwell (center) played 11 seasons in the NBA.Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff
Taking the next step
Rockets need more experience
The Rockets surprisingly rose in the Western Conference from a lottery team last season to the No. 2 seed with their infusion of youth and some veteran help from Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams. Unfortunately for coach Ime Udoka, the Rockets were outfoxed by the Warriors in their first-round series, losing Game 7 at home in a blowout.
The Rockets appeared exhausted and frustrated after the series. They lost Game 1 at home, then lost 3 and 4 at Golden State because of poor late-game execution. They rallied to win Games 5 and 6 only to look lethargic in the close-out game.
The issue was a lack of experience and lack of a quality wing scorer. Franchise cornerstone Jalen Green averaged just 13.3 points in the series on 37.2 percent shooting. The Warriors trapped him defensively, forcing him into a playmaker. It stunted the offense.
Houston now has to decide whether to run it back with the same crew or use some of their former lottery picks and draft capital to make a major deal for an established scorer such as Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Rockets general manager Rafael Stone appears prepared to build from within.
“Plan A has always been to develop our current group and hope we can be good enough within it,” he said. “We were the hardest-playing team in basketball. But that won’t get you over in the playoffs because everyone plays hard. Them having the opportunity to feel what that’s like, I think that’s a great learning opportunity.”
Under the no-nonsense Udoka, the Rockets are fiercely competitive defensively and could have prolific scorers in Green and Alperen Sengun. Amen Thompson is a generational defender and garnered some Defensive Player of the Year votes in his second season, and 2022 third overall pick Jabari Smith is an emerging player.
“This year you saw guys establish themselves,” Udoka said. “The development will come. We believe in our young guys and this season will leave a sour taste we are going to feel.”
The Rockets are a team to watch next season and in the near future, but a team filled with younger players who are going to garner extensions is difficult (just ask Oklahoma City) and Stone may be inclined to deal one of those core players for an established veteran who can help now.
The team has strong chemistry as VanVleet, Adams, and Dillon Brooks became leaders. VanVleet has a team option for nearly $45 million this summer that could potentially turn into a multiyear extension for more security but less money.
“I think Fred’s been great,” Stone said. “He’s been the person and the player we hoped we were getting. I’m very optimistic he will be here for the foreseeable future.”
VanVleet was stellar at times in the Warriors series but the fact he was the go-to guy offensively is a testament to the Rockets’ offensive struggles against elite defensive teams. Stone said he’d rather have a defensive-minded team with a bunch of tough guys that will gradually improve offensively.
“When you’re trying to build something the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that having a clear direction that fits the organization’s personality is really important,” he said.
Green is owed $105 million over the next three years and he could be the central figure of a trade involving a superstar. He has elite athleticism but Udoka wants him to improve his strength to enable drives through contact.
“He really improved; you saw it throughout the season,” Udoka said. “He has a ton of potential. Consistency is the main thing and he knows that.”
Thompson’s popularity grew the more he played in the national spotlight. He and his brother Ausar, who plays for the Pistons, entered the league two years ago as elite defenders with budding offensive games. Thompson can be an offensive weapon with better perimeter shooting and he has the ability to defend all five positions.
“[Amen] is an extremely hard worker, a grinder,” Udoka said. “He viewed himself as the best or one of the best of what he’s trying to be. Sky’s the limit and no ceiling in what he wants to be and the work he puts in has shown that.”
The Rockets will have all summer to lament their blown chances in the Golden State series.
“We found our footing midway through the series but let go of some opportunities early,” Udoka said. “You can reflect on a hard-fought series and next time we’re in the playoffs, hit the ground running from Game 1. I think our guys will be better no doubt.”
Jalen Green is owed $105 million over the next three years but he could be the central figure of a trade involving a superstar.David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Healthy outlook
Clippers could return intact
The Clippers were finally healthy in the postseason for the first time in years but when it really counted, they faltered again. Los Angeles was trounced in Game 7 of its first-round series against the Nuggets, failing to compete after the first quarter with forgettable performances from Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
The team can return intact next season. Harden has a $36 million player option and he is expected to make an All-NBA team because of his transformation into a true point guard. Leonard will enter the offseason healthy for the first time since 2020. The core besides Nicolas Batum is signed through next season. They could make a bid for a higher seed in the Western Conference with a full season with Leonard.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said he was pleased with how his club responded to Leonard’s early-season injury but the Denver series was winnable.
Los Angeles lost Game 1 in overtime and Game 4 on a stunning dunk at the buzzer from Aaron Gordon.
“I thought James [Harden] did a great job leading this group and then to start the season with James being able to hold this team together and then we got Kawhi back in the rare form of who he is.
“So, once he got back and got to playing like himself, I thought we put together a really strong run. Winning 18 out of 21 to get to this position I thought was really good. We came together to win 50 games and we hate to go out like this so that is very disappointing.”
Leonard played some of the best basketball of his career during the Clippers’ late regular-season run, reclaiming his status as a top-10 player. He’ll be 34 in June and has missed 89 regular-season games the past three years, and missed the entire 2021-22 season. He still may have several impactful seasons left because of his reduced workload.
“To be able to start training camp and the start of the season will be great,” Leonard said. “Right now, the [Game 7] loss is still on my mind. I am happy that I’m healthy coming out of the game. I wish we could’ve had a better outcome.”
James Harden transformed his game, going from scorer to point guard for the Clippers.David Zalubowski/Associated Press
All-time great coach Gregg Popovich will become president of the Spurs. Two years ago, Popovich signed a six-year extension but a stroke derailed his coaching career and his plans of returning were impacted by another medical incident a few months ago at a restaurant. Popovich insisted on appearing at a press conference to announce acting head coach Mitch Johnson as the permanent coach and joked with the local media. Johnson, 38, has been in the Spurs’ coaching tree for years and was Derrick White’s coach in the G League. This is a pivotal stretch for the Spurs. They’ll have another lottery pick in June to pair with Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle. There will be playoff expectations next season. It’s uncertain if 40-year-old Chris Paul will return for a 21st season but he did play in all 82 games this season. … The Kings and Grizzlies quickly addressed their coaching situations by signing Tuomas Iisalo and Doug Christie, respectively, to permanent contracts. The Grizzlies were swept by the Thunder in the first round but the organization is comfortable with the team’s refreshed offensive direction under Iisalo and his relationship with Ja Morant. The Kings lost in the play-in opener to the Mavericks but need stability and Christie has long been a favorite of owner Vivek Ranadivé. Sacramento acquired Zach LaVine in the trade that sent Fox to San Antonio but is in need of a point guard and a legitimate center to relieve pressure off undersized Domantas Sabonis … The lone NBA job opening is in Phoenix, which just named former college coach Brian Gregory as general manager, replacing James Jones, who made several questionable moves the past few years … Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was named NBA Coach of the Year for leading the Cavaliers to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference during his first season. The Cavaliers became an offensive juggernaut because of Atkinson’s emphasis on 3-point shooting and his ability to turn the tandem of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland into a more productive backcourt. Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff was second (31 first-place votes) while former Celtics coach Ime Udoka finished third.
Coach Kenny Atkinson turned the Cavaliers into a dynamic offensive force.Jason Miller/Getty
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.