Cedric Maxwell

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Cedric Bryan "Cornbread" Maxwell (born November 21, 1955 in Kinston, North Carolina) was an American professional basketball player and is now in radio broadcasting.

Maxwell -- known to fans and teammates as "Max" or "Cornbread" -- was a star forward/center for UNC Charlotte. Among the 49ers, Maxwell ranks 6th all-time in points scored and his #33 jersey was retired in 1977, when he led the 49ers to the NCAA Final Four. Upon completion of his career at Charlotte, Maxwell was the 12th overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, where he played for eight of his eleven seasons.

While Maxwell will be remembered as an efficient shooter and a colorful character, his biggest claim to fame is as a clutch playoff performer. Despite being overshadowed by such stars as Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, Maxwell was named MVP of the 1981 NBA Finals. Three years later, Maxwell scored 24 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in the decisive game-seven victory in the 1984 NBA Finals.

He was traded on September 6, 1985 with a draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for Bill Walton.

His jersey number 31 was retired by the Celtics in honor of his major contributions to two championships on December 15, 2003. He was the 22nd man to receive this honor from the Celtics.

Maxwell received the nickname "Cornbread" from his college teammate Melvin Watkins after the pair went to see the movie Cornbread, Earl and Me, in which a 12-year-old boy is traumatized by the murder of his friend, a star basketball player. Watkins thought that Maxwell looked like the title character (played, interestingly enough, by future Lakers star/rival Jamaal Wilkes) and so began calling him "Cornbread." Since Maxwell didn't like the nickname, it did not gain widespread use until Maxwell was named MVP of the NIT tournament in 1976, when, according to Watkins, "The New York media picked up on [the nickname]."

Maxwell is now a radio broadcaster for WRKO AM in Boston, where he announces Boston Celtics games with the "voice of the Celtics," Sean Grande. "Grande and Max" are one of Boston's most popular radio teams.