Cornbread was Invisible Long Before He Quit on Celtics in 1985

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 11-5
11/29/1983

He has never lived down an image created many years ago. Throughout his career, Cedric Maxwell has been called the Celtics' "Invisible Man." Usually, it's not said in a complimentary way. Maxwell heard it in 1977 from his first pro coach, Tom Heinsohn, but he quieted Heinsohn by becoming a starter in less than two seasons. Since then, however, that same expression has been used to describe Maxwell by three subsequent Celtics coaches - Satch Sanders, Dave Cowens and Bill Fitch - all of whom have occasionally wondered out loud why the talent that made Maxwell the Most Valuable Player of the 1981 NBA playoffs would vanish, as if by magic, only to return the next night.

But yesterday, when current Celtics coach K. C. Jones also used the word "invisible" in reference to Maxwell, it came in solid defense of a man whom Jones feels should be named Celtics' player of the month. According to the coach, Maxwell has adapted, perhaps better than anyone on the team, to Jones' defensive-minded philosphy. "He might seem invisible out there," said Jones. "But that's not the way it looks if you're sitting on the bench. You see him banging the boards, and you know other teams have orders to keep him off.

"Maxwell is going down low and busting his tail on both ends (of the court). I like his attitude and the way he's encouraging guys. On defense, he's taking the toughest man. He's been player of the month for us." It is perhaps poetic justice that after 16 games, the most consistent Celtics player should be none of other than Cedric Maxwell. His failure to perform up to par last season was thought to be one of the keys to the Celtics' collapse in the playoffs. Maxwell's defense last season was adequate. But offensively, he suffered from a lack of consistency and a problem with the media that often seemed to affect his attitude on the court. Maxwell's scoring average dropped to 11.9 ppg, his lowest total since he was a rookie.

And further, he had only 422 rebounds, more than 100 fewer than the 525 he had pulled down in 1981. The future of the 6-foot-8, 217-pound stringbean forward did not look bright. With a new coach hired and Larry Bird and Kevin McHale signed to big-money contracts over the summer, no one was sure what would become of Maxwell, who over the past three years had been losing both playing time and scoring opportunities to Bird, McHale and Robert Parish. But what has happened, in fact, is that Maxwell has simply adjusted.

He has become a key on defense for the Celtics, and not surprisingly, it has earned him more playing time. On defense, Maxwell has been assigned all the toughies, from Julius Erving to Marques Johnson to Kelly Tripucka. And because of his experience around the basket, Maxwell has scored in double figures in 14 of 16 games; his average minutes played and points (31.4 and 12.4) are higher than last season's totals (28.4 and 11.9). What's more, Maxwell's defensive reputation earned him a spot on this year's NBA all-star ballot, giving the Celtics five candidates.

Whether he makes the team isn't the point. Maxwell would probably rather take the three days off and spend them looking for a place that sells home- cooked biscuits, anyway. But that people elsewhere see him differently than he is perceived in Boston is what keeps him striving for excellence - and another championship ring. "With each coaching change, there is always another role to play," Maxwell said of his return to consistency. "My role has changed somewhat every year I've been here. With K. C., the emphasis he's put on so far has been defense. It's basically a thankless job that I'm doing right now. There are no statistics for defense, for setting picks and trying to get guys open.

"My job is to try and contain the leading forward on the other team. But by doing that, you don't get a chance to play that much offense. When you try to go through picks and all that kind of stuff, something has to suffer, and usually it's offense. Right now, my job is to make Larry, Kevin and Robert better." Maxwell, who has been a high scorer since his college days at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, realizes the people often are impressed most by offensive statistics, and he knows that in the current system there is a chance that his scoring totals might drop. But as coaches change, so do roles. And right now, this is fine with him. He is in the final year of a three-year contract, and if things don't work out here, he knows he can still do the job as a scorer someplace else.

"If we (Celtics) win," he says, "my situation is good and basically taken care of. I think the contract will take care of itself. You don't want to break up a combo of four big guys. "I have no qualms about it. I always felt that if I did leave here, I could be a scorer. I could revert to being a scorer. If I got into that situation, I would take whatever comes." Maxwell appears to be more relaxed than he was a year ago, when he feuded with the media because he felt that reporters were invading his privacy by using material about his personal life. This year, he has patched things up with the media and is again sarcastic and fun to be around. But Maxwell credits enthusiasm for his new role - not his renewed relationship with the press - for putting a smile on his face.

"I know last year, when I wasn't talking to the press," he said, "people felt I was unhappy. I was, but only towards them. I just felt my personal life and profesional life shouldn't mix. I didn't think my personal life should be on a sports page, and I made my protest to that last year by not talking to the press. "I'm sure people will think this year, because I am talking to the press, I'm a happier player. But the truth is that I think that I've come to grips with the situation of being a public figure and my life being an open book. I have no gripes about anything that has happened."