Rockets legend Vernon Maxwell continues to beef with Utah in latest MLK Day jibe
Over Vernon Maxwell's 13-year NBA career, he was known for his defense and fiery personality. His talents played an essential role in helping the Houston Rockets capture NBA titles in 1994 and 1995, making him a fixture amongst the team's legends. He does still carry some animosity for one state from his career, though; Utah and the Jazz.
The tough guard claimed that he was subjected to racial abuse and threats from Utah fans whenever he visited the state during his career. He hasn't forgotten what he's gone through with the fans in Utah, continuing to dog on the state as a whole, even long after his career came to an end.
It has gotten to the point where the 2x NBA champion has posted subtle pokes and jabs toward Utah, with the latest addition being his MLK-related post on Monday.
"Hope everyone had a good MLK day yesterday. I wonder if the state of Utah celebrates MLK or if they even know who he is," Maxwell posted on X.
Maxwell took the treatment as extra motivation whenever he faced the Utah Jazz, but made another vow to bring his experiences into the light after he was done playing.
"They did a lot to me back when I was playing, so I felt like whenever I got a platform, I was able to talk about something," Maxwell told Chron. "I was going to make sure I put the damn Utah Jazz in this s--t."
Maxwell had a couple of postseason clashes with the Utah Jazz throughout his career, culminating in a five-game series win over Karl Malone and John Stockton en route to the 1995 championship. His story is a good example of what the NBA was back then; full of hatred for the opposition and a desire to not only win, but crush the opponents straight up.
Despite Vernon Maxwell's disdain for Utah, the Rockets might deal with the Jazz to improve their roster
Looking at the present, the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets are in two different situations. The Rockets currently hold the second seed in the Western Conference while the Jazz find themselves near the bottom. Houston is looking around the league for players to bring in via trade and could end up calling the Jazz about the services of Collin Sexton, Walker Kessler and John Collins.
The Rockets need a center to back up potential All-Star Alperen Şengün, and Kessler would provide them with stout backline defense. Collins and Sexton, on the other hand, would help give the team more offensive punch and could help the Rockets compete with the other top teams in the West in the postseason.