"'F—k the education! Go get your f—ng money'" - Vernon Maxwell claims he was one of the first to advise Kobe Bryant to skip college originally appeared on Basketball Network .
No matter how brash or rough around the edges he may seem, former NBA champion Vernon Maxwell has always been praised for his authenticity and unfiltered honesty. From his six standout years with the Houston Rockets , where he secured a championship, to his current role as a media personality, Mad Max has always been unafraid to speak his mind and tell it like it is.
It was this type of unfiltered honesty that led Maxwell to offer some advice to a young Kobe Bryant back when they played against one another in pick-up games organized by Philadelphia 76ers head coach John Lucas II. According to the former NBA veteran, his message to the hoop prodigy was straightforward: don't waste time going to college; head straight to the NBA.
Maxwell played the 1995-96 season for Lucas and the Sixers. At that time, Bryant was also tearing up the high school basketball scene, starring for Lower Merion High School. In fact, Lucas got so impressed with the young man's play that he began inviting him over to Sixers' practices, where he even tested the mettle of draft prospects, which included Jerry Stackhouse.
It was during these practices that Maxwell got to meet and experience what it was like to play Bryant.
"I was in Philly with John Lucas. John Lucas used to let him come over and practice with us. I seen him in high school," Vernon shared on Byron Scott's podcast.
After witnessing what Bryant could do at his age, Maxwell approached him and provided some unsolicited advice: jump straight to the NBA.
"S—t, I was one of the ones that told him, 'Man, hey, I don't know. You need to bring your a—s on to the NBA. Don't go to college, motherfuc—r,'" he recalled.
Upon hearing Maxwell's advice, Scott burst into laughter and exclaimed, "Hey Max, you supposed to be leading the kid to get a higher education!"
However, Maxwell was adamant that Bryant already had the skills necessary to become an impact player in the NBA.
"I was like, 'F—k the education,'" he said. "You motherfuc—r, go get your f—ng money. Come get your money, son, the way you did me in that f—ng gym.' And I was really trying to check this motherfuc—r, I was like, 'Good god, this motherfuc—r, he got it all."
Maxwell, who stood 6'4" and had a rock-solid physique that he routinely used to annoy and deter some of the NBA's best players, was a tough challenge for Bryant to overcome. However, the latter proved to be up for the task, using his speed and agility to get past Maxwell's physicality.
As the exchange unfolded, Mad Max watched in awe, struck by how much Kobe's moves and intensity reminded him of the legendary Michael Jordan.
"The motherfuc—r had a little Jordan in his a—s. I was like, 'Good God, this motherfuc—r do got a little Jordan in him.' But I was one of the ones who told him, man," Maxwell continued. "Was a special player, man. Great father. Just a great man, man. Great human being."
Vernon eventually got to play Kobe in the NBA. And even though the wingman was still coming off the bench for a talented Los Angeles Lakers squad, he knew it was only a matter of time before Bryant would make his mark on the league.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
