Vernon Maxwell’s experience with Magic Johnson will make some NBA legends thank their stars for Buck not having a reputation for trash talk. It was during Johnson’s recent appearance on Byron Scott’s Fast Break that the discussion regarding an instance of Magic trash-talking Maxwell came up. Despite the fact that the incident is brutally hilarious at Maxwell’s expense, the former Houston Rockets star is being completely honest in his confession.

Maxwell shared an IG post featuring the clip, where, Byron Scott recalled the whole chain of events. And the former Houston Rockets agreed every single detail narrated on the podcast to be true. “This s— really did happen. I thought I can guard everybody,” Maxwell wrote. Now, to be fair, Maxwell wasn’t just talking big. The former Rockets star built his reputation as a fierce, physical defender, a key piece in Houston’s championship runs. But then what went wrong against Magic Johnson?

Byron Scott recalled it perfectly in the clip shared by Maxwell. “Maxwell said he could guard him… “So me and Coop said, ‘Buck, did you hear what he just said?’ We made sure Buck heard him. Buck said, ‘No, no, no — I heard him, I heard him.'” Scott further revealed that instead of immediately going at Maxwell, Johnson bided his time. He waited until the fourth quarter, letting Mad Max believe he had things under control. And then, like a hunter closing in on his prey, Magic Johnson went to work.

The Lakers legend took Maxwell to the post and repeatedly hit him with his signature sky hook. When Maxwell tried to adjust, Johnson switched things up, drop-stepping into easy layups. The Rockets guard had no answer. Maxwell, realizing he was in deep trouble, did what any overwhelmed defender would—he called for help. But Johnson wasn’t letting him off that easy. As Scott recalled, “Buck got the ball and said, ‘No, no, no — you don’t need no help. Is that what you said?'” before promptly scoring on him again.

Yep, that’s how brutal Buck could be when it came to trash-talking. But then why not use it to his advantage? Well, he had enough of it going it within his Lakers itself.

Pat Riley allowed his Showtime Lakers to trash-talk with teammates on one condition

Trash talk and basketball go hand in hand. Let’s be honest—the game just isn’t the same without players jawing at each other, adding to the intensity. But the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers had their own spin on it, and it all started behind closed doors.

Magic Johnson recently shared on Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast that the real trash talk didn’t happen in games—it happened in practice. And not only was it allowed, but Pat Riley actually encouraged it. Of course, there was one catch.

“There’s no practice like a Laker practice,” Johnson recalled. “The trash-talking, the intensity—but still focused. See, Pat wouldn’t let us talk trash unless we were focused and still following the game plan in terms of what he was putting into that practice.”

That discipline turned the Lakers into a dynasty. They didn’t just talk the talk—they backed it up on the court. And Vernon Maxwell’s honest confession further confirms it.