Tag: Cedric Maxwell

Cedric Maxwell and Sean Grande – the radio voices of the Boston Celtics

For more than two decades now, Grande and Max have graced the airwaves during Celtics games to keep us in the know and entertained.

Few broadcasters who have covered the Boston Celtics over the years can hold a candle to the legendary team of Mike Gorman and Tommy Heinsohn. But two who have a bit of mojo of their own are former Celtics champion and current color man Cedric Maxwell and his radio broadcast partner, Sean Grande.

For more than two decades, Grande and Max have graced the airwaves during Celtics games to keep us in the know and entertained as well. They have done their jobs with integrity and energy, as much as anyone could ask from the voices calling the game on any given night.

The pair were recent guests on the Celtics-produced podcast “View from the Rafters” to talk about their time calling games together; check it out to hear some behind-the-scenes tales on top of their part of Boston sports history.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Isiah Thomas on how he helped guide Jaylen Brown to the Boston Celtics

Thomas recently told the tale of how he helped guide then-Cal student athlete Jaylen Brown to the Celtics to Boston legend Cedric Maxwell.

When he was a top point guard in the NBA, Hall of Fame Detroit Pistons floor general Isiah Thomas was anything but friendly to the Boston Celtics and their fans. He was a regular thorn in the side of the so-called “original big three” of Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale in the latter days of that basketball dynasty.

But fast forward a few decades and Thomas, now an elder statesman of the league, helped guide then-Cal student athlete Jaylen Brown to the Celtics ahead of the 2016 NBA draft to put his former nemesis in a position to spark a new dynasty as that club rebuilt from its last era of contention.

The host of the eponymous CLNS Media “Cedric Maxwell” podcast sat down with Thomas for a wide-ranging interview recently, and the Jaylen Brown story of course came up.

To hear the story of how the OG IT helped make Brown end up in Boston, check out the clip embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Part II of Cedric Maxwell’s interview with Boston Celtics nemesis Isiah Thomas

The pair continue their discussion ranging from before Thomas had even gotten to the league to the present day.

Earlier this week, we brought you the first part of a noteworthy interview between Detroit Pistons Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas (the original IT) and former Boston Celtics star and current-day Celtics broadcaster Cedric Maxwell.

In the first installment of the two-part series of interviews between the two NBA legends, the pair talked about everything Detroit Pistons vs. Boston you can think of and then some.

The pair continue their discussion ranging from before Thomas reached the league to the present day, including the former New York Knicks exec helping Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown find his way in the NBA as he came into the league.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear this in-depth dive into Boston and Thomas’ past for some stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell interviews onetime Boston nemesis Isiah Thomas

The OG IT recently sat down with Maxwell to talk about his life, career, and all sorts of stories from back in the day.

Once, Isiah Thomas was a nemesis to the Boston Celtics, a player who felt  little love from fans of the storied club during the years the Detroit Pistons Hall of Famer terrorized the Celtics’ defense.

Today, Thomas has warm relations with some of the players he used to face in Boston, such as Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell.

In fact, the OG IT recently sat down with Maxwell to talk about his life, career, and all sorts of stories from back in the day right up to the recent past where his life intersected with the Celtics on or off the court.

In the talk, Thomas offers a candid and insightful look into the world of professional basketball, and his place in its history.

To hear what Thomas and Maxwell had to say in this wide-ranging interview, check out the clip from Maxwell’s eponymous CLNS Media podcast we have embedded above for your viewing (or listening) pleasure.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Cedric Maxwell and Maceo Parker on being Kinston’s favorite sons in their fields

The duo both hail from the sleepy North Carolina town and had plenty to say about it on a recent pod.

Kinston, North Carolina, is well known for its hoops scene that has produced a number of NBA talents over the decades. But the man who put the city on the map in that regard was Boston Celtics champion forward Cedric Maxwell, who rose to national attention after leaving the city to play collegiately at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

It is not just ballers coming out of that sleepy North Carolina city, however — jazz and pop musician Maceo Parker also hails from the town, and a chance encounter set the stage for Maxwell and Parker to link up and talk all things music, basketball and Kinston on a recent episode of Cornbread’s semi-eponymous podcast.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say, with everything from the tough memories of segregation up to jamming with Prince and James Brown on the docket for discussion.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Revisit Chris Ford’s big Game 3 performance with the Boston Celtics from the 1981 NBA Finals

On a night where Larry Bird scored just 8 points, Cedric Maxwell and Chris Ford led the way for the Boston Celtics during Game 3 of the 1981 NBA Finals.

The Boston Celtics and the entire NBA community are mourning the loss and celebrating the life of former Boston player and head coach Chris Ford. The New Jersey native won multiple NBA titles as a player and a coach, and famously sank the first 3-point shot in league history.

Ford was drafted by the Detroit Pistons 17th overall in the 1972 NBA draft. He was traded to the Celtics in 1978. He won a championship with Boston in 1981 before retiring the following year. Ford won two more titles with the Celtics as an assistant coach and eventually served as head coach in the early 1990s.

Though Ford wasn’t the flashiest of players or the biggest of stars, he was a critical role player for the ’80-81 Celtics. As a starter, he averaged 8.9 points and 2 rebounds per contest. Ford stepped up when his club needed him, however.

Ford helped power the Celtics to victory during Game 3 of the NBA Finals in 1981. On a night Larry Bird managed just 8 points, Ford scored 17 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. He and Cedric Maxwell led the charge for Boston, helping the team grab a crucial win on the road.

You can check out Chris Ford’s Game 3 highlights from the 1981 Finals here:

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Who are the top 10 Boston Celtics players of all time?

From Ed Macauley and Bill Russell to Dave Cowens, Larry Bird, and Paul Pierce, the list of names to choose from is extensive.

Who are the top 10 Boston Celtics players of all time? Back in the early years, there was Ed Macauley and Bill Sharman, then in the dynasty years a plethora of options ranging from Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, Satch Sanders, KC Jones, and John Havlicek.

Later, you could pick from Dave Cowens, Paul Silas, and JoJo White in the 1970s, and Cedric Maxwell, Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale in the 1980s. The 1990s had Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce, the latter of whom stuck around to win a title in the aughts with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

Even with all that star power under the history of one franchise, you could still more names the list is so long, making the job done by ESPN’s Andrew Lopez, Tim Bontemps, and Ros Gold-Onwude on a recent episode of the “NBA Crosscourt” show all the more impressive.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what names made their lists — and which ones did not.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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On this day: Boston legends Reggie Lewis, Cedric Maxwell born

On this day, former Boston Celtics forwards Reggie Lewis and Cedric Maxwell were born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, small forward Reggie Lewis was born back in 1965. Lewis would play his college ball at local Northeastern University under famed New England coaching legend Jim Calhoun and would be picked up with the 22nd overall selection in the 1987 NBA draft by the Celtics.

The former Husky had a solid rookie season, but an injury to star forward Larry Bird opened up an opportunity for Lewis to play a larger role with the team. The Maryland native took full advantage of it, scoring 18.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals per game, and just under a block per game that season.

It would be good for an All-Star bid in 1992, his sole such honor in his too-short career.

Rookie Larry Bird once excoriated fellow Hall of Famer Pete Maravich when both were Boston Celtics

Teammate Cedric Maxwell told the tale of their early clash during the sole season the two Hall of Famers were teammates.

It might surprise some younger fans to learn that the tenures of Boston Celtics Hall of Famers “Pistol” Pete Maravich and Larry Bird overlapped for a season on the storied franchise both played for, Maravich signing on for a swan song to his storied career just as The Hick From French Lick’s got started in the 1979-80 NBA season.

And as is not that unusual, the two basketball legends butted heads a bit at first, going at it in the heat of a game after a play did not go the way one thought it ought to according to teammate and Boston legend in his own right Cedric Maxwell.

Speaking to NBC Sports Boston about a recent on-court kerfuffle between the Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra, Jimmy Butler, and Udonis Haslem, Maxwell recalled a similar incident going down between Bird and Maravich.

On this day: Celtics trade McAdoo to Pistons, Maxwell to Clippers

On this day, the Boston Celtics traded away big man Bob McAdoo and forward Cedric Maxwell to the Pistons and Clippers, respectively.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise traded away Hall of Fame big man Bob McAdoo.

His tenure with the Celtics was a short and awkward one. McAdoo did not want to play for Boston, and team general manager Red Auerbach nearly quit his job after owner John Y. Brown used multiple draft picks to secure McAdoo’s services.

The Celtics already had a future Hall of Fame center — Dave Cowens — who was also the head coach, so Brown’s meddling very nearly became a serious disaster. Red decided to stay and McAdoo was traded as compensation for Boston signing future coach and general manager M.L. Carr as a player.

Ironically, Boston ended up getting back the draft assets that would be used to get both Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.