Just hours ago, the Houston Rockets made headlines for an altercation during their latest game. After Rockets assistant coach John Lucas called out multiple players at halftime for their lack of effort, Kevin Porter Jr. threw an object before promptly leaving the arena, a messy and appalling situation that drew criticism from fans around the league.
After the report came out, most reacted with disdain but not everybody was surprised.
One fan even compared it to an incident in the 90s, which apparently involved Vernon Maxwell trying to stab Hakeem Olajuwon with a bottle.
So I’m the only one that remembers when Olajuwon and Maxwell got into it at halftime? When Hakeem slapped Vernon and Maxwell broke a bottle and tried to stab him? Calm down people. Heated exchanges happen all the time.
Funnily enough, Maxwell actually responded to the Tweet, assuring the masses that he doesn’t recall such an incident taking place.
I don’t remember trying to stab anyone but if I did it was out of love.
I don’t remember trying to stab anyone but if I did it was out of love. https://t.co/IvGN5LqyQS
— Vernon Maxwell (@VernonMaxwell11) January 2, 2022
The infamous stabbing situation did actually happen, and Maxwell was holding a bottle by the end of the night. Last year, he did actually comment on how it all went down during that game.
“He wanted to discipline me, we walked in the locker room, I told him, ‘F—- you’ and all that. I went in the locker room. I had my head down and they used to always put my locker next to his locker. Man we don’t get along like that, why’d you do that anyway? I don’t know why they do that. I know we’re both leaders on this team, but I don’t want to be by Dream. I went in the locker room and sat down. I got in there first and he was coming in behind me. I put my head down, I’m looking like I don’t want nobody to say (anything) to me, so Dream walked over. I see those two feet in front of me, those Etonics, I see them coming between my feet.
(Again in his Olajuwon voice) “‘Maxey what did you say to me? What did you say to me?’
“Bam … out of nowhere.
“I was getting ready to say, ‘Man go ahead …’ Then bam, he knocked the taste out of my mouth. I went crazy, I ran everybody out of that locker room, Rudy T., the police, everybody came in there, ‘You better calm down.’ I wanted to get someone. I busted a glass. I had glass in my hands. Cutting my hand up. They’re telling me, ‘Max, put the glass down.’ Man, I’m mad as hell. Man, that motherf—– slapped the sh– out of me, man.”
Needless to say, it was an intense situation for all sides and it’s one that could have gotten a whole lot worse — despite what Maxwell has to say about it now.
Regarding the saga in Houston, it really doesn’t seem that bad all things considered. But we’ve seen before how fast things can escalate. Let’s just hope the worst of it is over.
