# Cedric Maxwell
**Cedric Maxwell** (born 1955 in [Kinston, North Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/kinston-north-carolina)) is an American former professional basketball player, a 6-foot-8 forward who won two NBA championships with the [Boston Celtics](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-celtics) and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1981 [NBA Finals](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-finals). Known by his nickname "Cornbread," he played 11 NBA seasons, eight of them with Boston, and has been a Celtics radio broadcaster since the 2001-02 season.[1](https://ncshof.org/2023/01/cedric-cornbread-maxwell/) • [2](https://www.legendsofbasketball.com/alumni/cedric-maxwell/) • [3](https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2026/07/06/celtics-jaylen-brown-trade-cedric-maxwell-reaction-comments/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1955, Kinston, North Carolina[1](https://ncshof.org/2023/01/cedric-cornbread-maxwell/) |
| Draft | Boston Celtics, first round (12th pick, 12th overall), 1977 NBA Draft[4](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/maxwece01.html) |
| NBA career | 11 seasons, 1977-88; Celtics 1977-85, Clippers and Houston 1985-88[1](https://ncshof.org/2023/01/cedric-cornbread-maxwell/) • [5](https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/120203salutetocedrichtml) |
| Championships | Two with Boston, 1981 and 1984[1](https://ncshof.org/2023/01/cedric-cornbread-maxwell/) |
| 1981 Finals MVP | Led the Celtics in the series with 17.6 points per game, adding 9.5 rebounds[6](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1981/05/16/mvp-maxwell-out-from-the-shadow/3fed8bb3-452f-48a8-a372-091eee186ec5/) |
| Celtics numbers | 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds per game, 55.9% field-goal shooting, two-time NBA field-goal percentage champion[7](https://www.celticsblog.com/2018/3/4/17079082/cedric-maxwell-and-all-time-underrated-boston-celtics-robert-parish-danny-ainge) |
| Career scoring | 10,465 NBA points, 12.5 per game[1](https://ncshof.org/2023/01/cedric-cornbread-maxwell/) |
| Honors | No. 31 retired by the Celtics; NC Sports Hall of Fame, inducted 1998[3](https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2026/07/06/celtics-jaylen-brown-trade-cedric-maxwell-reaction-comments/) • [1](https://ncshof.org/2023/01/cedric-cornbread-maxwell/) |
## College career at UNC Charlotte
Maxwell played for the [University of North Carolina at Charlotte](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-north-carolina-at-charlotte) from 1973 to 1977, listed as a 6-foot-8 center. He scored 1,824 college points and pulled down 1,117 rebounds, was named third-team UPI All-American in 1977, and led the 49ers to the 1976 NIT Finals, where he was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player as Charlotte finished as national runner-up. In 1977 he was MVP of the NCAA Mideast Region as Charlotte won the regional and advanced to the Final Four, the first national prominence in the program's history.[1](https://ncshof.org/2023/01/cedric-cornbread-maxwell/) • [8](https://charlotte49ers.com/honors/hall-of-fame/cedric-maxwell/4)
## Boston Celtics, 1977-1985
The Celtics, rebuilding and in need of frontcourt help, selected Maxwell with the 12th overall pick of the 1977 draft. He wore number 30 as a rookie in 1977-78 and switched to number 31, which he wore through the 1984-85 season.[5](https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/120203salutetocedrichtml) • [2](https://www.legendsofbasketball.com/alumni/cedric-maxwell/) His first two seasons in Boston came during the franchise's lowest period; the year before [Larry Bird](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-bird) arrived for the 1979-80 season, the Celtics finished 29-53.[9](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-19-sp-15147-story.html) • [10](https://www.celticsblog.com/2019/7/4/20681744/larry-legend-vs-the-supposed-king-why-bird-is-the-superior-all-around-player-to-james-boston-celtics)
**Adjusting his game.** When Bird joined the team, coach Bill Fitch asked Maxwell to change roles. "When Larry came, we needed a defensive forward, not a scorer, so Cedric became it," Fitch said after the 1981 championship. Maxwell led the league in field-goal percentage in 1979-80 and again later, and as Bird's starting forward partner from 1979 to 1984 he averaged 13.5 points and 6.6 rebounds on 55.9 percent shooting over his Celtics career.[6](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1981/05/16/mvp-maxwell-out-from-the-shadow/3fed8bb3-452f-48a8-a372-091eee186ec5/) • [7](https://www.celticsblog.com/2018/3/4/17079082/cedric-maxwell-and-all-time-underrated-boston-celtics-robert-parish-danny-ainge) • [11](https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/cedric-maxwell-on-the-difficulty-of-playing-with-a-superstar-in-a-team-sport)
**The 1981 championship.** Boston won its 14th NBA title, and its first since 1976, by beating the [Houston Rockets](https://www.edgepedia.org/houston-rockets) four games to two. Maxwell was the steadiest Celtic throughout the series, finishing as the team's leading scorer at 17.6 points per game and second-leading rebounder at 9.5 per game, with a 28-point, 15-rebound performance in Game 5, while spending long stretches battling Houston center [Moses Malone](https://www.edgepedia.org/moses-malone) inside. He was named the series' Most Valuable Player.[6](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1981/05/16/mvp-maxwell-out-from-the-shadow/3fed8bb3-452f-48a8-a372-091eee186ec5/)
**The 1984 championship.** In Game 7 of the 1984 Finals against the [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-lakers), Maxwell matched his career playoff high with 24 points on only 10 shots, adding 8 rebounds and 8 assists, in Boston's 111-102 clinching victory.
## Departure and later playing career
A knee injury during the 1984-85 season slowed Maxwell's recovery, and [Kevin McHale](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-mchale-basketball) moved into the starting lineup. Before the 1985-86 season the Celtics traded Maxwell to the [Los Angeles Clippers](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-clippers), and McHale became the team's starting power forward.[13](https://www.nba.com/news/history-nba-legend-kevin-mchale) Maxwell later said he was hurt that Bird and the team blamed him for being a no-show in the 1985 Finals, which Boston lost to the Lakers.[14](https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/cedric-maxwell-once-picked-dirk-nowitzki-over-larry-bird-based-on-physical-attributes) He finished his career with the Clippers and the Houston Rockets from 1985 to 1988, wearing number 19 for Los Angeles and number 18 for Houston, and retired after the 1987-88 season.[1](https://ncshof.org/2023/01/cedric-cornbread-maxwell/) • [2](https://www.legendsofbasketball.com/alumni/cedric-maxwell/) • [5](https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/120203salutetocedrichtml)
## Legacy and broadcasting
Maxwell's Celtics totals of 13.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 55.9 percent shooting, with two league field-goal percentage titles, reflect a low-post scorer who was unusually efficient for a forward of his era.[7](https://www.celticsblog.com/2018/3/4/17079082/cedric-maxwell-and-all-time-underrated-boston-celtics-robert-parish-danny-ainge) Writers frequently place him among the franchise's most underrated players, arguing that his role as a defensive forward and secondary scorer beside Bird cost him individual recognition.[7](https://www.celticsblog.com/2018/3/4/17079082/cedric-maxwell-and-all-time-underrated-boston-celtics-robert-parish-danny-ainge) • [11](https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/cedric-maxwell-on-the-difficulty-of-playing-with-a-superstar-in-a-team-sport) He also left his mark on Celtics lore by giving center [Robert Parish](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-parish) his lasting nickname, "Chief," a reference to the silent character Chief Bromden in *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*.[15](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/parish-el-doble-cero-para-la-eternidad-f202603-n/)
The Celtics retired his No. 31 jersey, and he has been part of the team's radio broadcasts since the 2001-02 season, calling games on 98.5 The Sports Hub alongside play-by-play announcer Sean Grande.[3](https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2026/07/06/celtics-jaylen-brown-trade-cedric-maxwell-reaction-comments/) • [16](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612743/2025/10/2025-26-Denver-Nuggets-Media-Guide.pdf) As a commentator he remains a regular voice on Celtics matters; in 2026 he said that Duke star [Cooper Flagg](https://www.edgepedia.org/cooper-flagg) reminded him of his former teammate Larry Bird.[17](https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/03/06/sports/professional-basketball/cedric-maxwell-says-cooper-flagg-reminds-him-of-larry-bird/)
## References
1. [Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell, North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame](https://ncshof.org/2023/01/cedric-cornbread-maxwell/)
2. [Cedric Maxwell, National Basketball Retired Players Association](https://www.legendsofbasketball.com/alumni/cedric-maxwell/)
3. [Cedric Maxwell has a message for Jaylen Brown, Boston.com](https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2026/07/06/celtics-jaylen-brown-trade-cedric-maxwell-reaction-comments/)
4. [Cedric Maxwell Stats, Basketball-Reference.com](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/maxwece01.html)
5. [Salute to Cedric, Boston Celtics (NBA.com)](https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/120203salutetocedrichtml)
6. [MVP Maxwell: Out From the Shadow, The Washington Post (May 16, 1981)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1981/05/16/mvp-maxwell-out-from-the-shadow/3fed8bb3-452f-48a8-a372-091eee186ec5/)
7. [Cedric Maxwell and all-time underrated Boston Celtics, CelticsBlog](https://www.celticsblog.com/2018/3/4/17079082/cedric-maxwell-and-all-time-underrated-boston-celtics-robert-parish-danny-ainge)
8. [Cedric Maxwell (2020), Hall of Fame, Charlotte Athletics](https://charlotte49ers.com/honors/hall-of-fame/cedric-maxwell/4)
9. [Cedric Maxwell Leaves Some Bitterness Behind in Boston, Los Angeles Times (October 19, 1985)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-19-sp-15147-story.html)
10. [Larry Legend vs. the supposed King, CelticsBlog](https://www.celticsblog.com/2019/7/4/20681744/larry-legend-vs-the-supposed-king-why-bird-is-the-superior-all-around-player-to-james-boston-celtics)
11. [Cedric Maxwell explains how Larry Bird's greatness alienated him, Basketball Network](https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/cedric-maxwell-on-the-difficulty-of-playing-with-a-superstar-in-a-team-sport)
12. [Daily Pilot, June 13, 1984](https://ecms.newportbeachca.gov/Web/0/edoc/1295130/1984-06-13%20-%20Orange%20Coast%20Pilot.pdf)
13. [Legends profile: Kevin McHale, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/history-nba-legend-kevin-mchale)
14. [Cedric Maxwell explains why he picked Dirk Nowitzki over Larry Bird, Basketball Network](https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/cedric-maxwell-once-picked-dirk-nowitzki-over-larry-bird-based-on-physical-attributes)
15. [Parish, el 'doble cero' para la eternidad, AS.com](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/parish-el-doble-cero-para-la-eternidad-f202603-n/)
16. [Boston Celtics 2025-26 Media Guide, NBA.com](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612743/2025/10/2025-26-Denver-Nuggets-Media-Guide.pdf)
17. [This Celtics legend says Cooper Flagg reminds him of Larry Bird, Bangor Daily News](https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/03/06/sports/professional-basketball/cedric-maxwell-says-cooper-flagg-reminds-him-of-larry-bird/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › NBA players, 1980–1995 › NBA forwards, 1980–1995*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license