"Get some coke or do some blow" - Cedric Maxwell reveals the ugly reality of 1970s NBA

Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell — a former Boston Celtics champion and Finals MVP — shed light on the league's darker side in the late 1970s.

In a frank interview with "The Guardian," Maxwell recalled how often he was offered cocaine and "blow" early in what would become an 11-year stint in the Association. Judging by his comments, he certainly wasn't alone, after all, as the 70-year-old put it, "drugs were big in the NBA" at the time.

NBA drug culture

When Maxwell joined the Celtics in 1977 as the 12th overall pick, he stepped into a challenging situation marked by an aging, out-of-prime roster desperate for a rebuild.

Amid back-to-back losing seasons, there was little hope for progress, yet, reflecting on his rookie year, Maxwell said he was confident they could still turn things around. He added that while the vets shared this very ambition, the results still fell short of expectations. Nevertheless, the future Celtics icon concentrated on refining his game, discerning which habits to adopt and which to discard — both on the court and away from it.

During that period, Maxwell began noticing darker patterns off the court, particularly drug use. While unthinkable today, the former 6'8" forward recalled that it was widespread across the league in the late 1970s.

"I was asked multiple times did I want to get some coke or do some blow," he said, revealing a harsh reality of what is often called the darkest era in NBA history.

Looking back, one question stands out: if then-Commissioner David Stern hadn't eventually acted to curb that behavior and safeguard the league's image, could the situation have spiraled so far out of control that the NBA might not have survived at all?

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Maxwell did it his way

Of course, Maxwell wasn't alone in facing the NBA's widespread drug culture. Even icons like Michael Jordan recalled seeing his fellow Chicago Bulls players indulge in similar vices. According to Jordan, it was especially evident on road trips, when the roster resembled more a "traveling cocaine circus" than the professional team it was actually meant to be.

"You got your lines over here, you got your weed smokers over here, you got your women over here," Jordan recalled in the acclaimed 2020 Netflix documentary "The Last Dance."

Fortunately for His Airness, he quickly realized he needed to stay clear. Fearing they were in dangerous waters and that a raid could come at any moment — which would make him look just as guilty — the future six-time NBA champion kept his cautious distance.

Maxwell, whose number 31 the Celtics have retired, made the same responsible choice, albeit for slightly different reasons.

"I had a strong enough constitution to know that using drugs wasn't something I wanted," he recalled.

According to Maxwell, his disciplined mindset originated in childhood. Raised in North Carolina, his parents continually impressed upon him the importance of leading with confidence and purpose rather than simply following others.

Cornbread explained that this early foundation helped him forge his own identity, and wholeheartedly, it's exactly the lesson he now shares with every rookie in the league: stay true to yourself rather than simply follow the habits of most NBA peers.

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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.