About this episode

Cedric Maxwell interviews Rick Mahorn about the Bad Boy Pistons, their rivalry with the Celtics, and the evolution of the NBA.

Cedric Maxwell sits down with Rick Mahorn for a raw old-school NBA conversation. Mahorn breaks down how the Bad Boy Pistons defended Michael Jordan, why playoff basketball is still about physicality, how he would guard Joel Embiid, Victor Wembanyama, Giannis, Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns, plus stories about Dennis Rodman, Isaiah Thomas, Larry Bird, Robert Parish and the Celtics-Pistons rivalry. From the Jordan Rules to today’s injury concerns, Maxwell and Mahorn compare the toughness of the 80s NBA with the modern game. In this episode, Cedric Maxwell is joined by NBA Champion and Detroit Pistons legend, Rick Mahorn. The two friends dive into the 2026 NBA Playoffs, giving their thoughts on the Celtics-76ers and Magic-Pistons series. Then they reminisce about their careers and the evolution of the NBA since then. Cedric puts Rick on the spot, asking him how he'd fare against today's big men and about the Pistons' famous plan to stifle Michael Jordan. Rick also talks about his relationship with Isiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman and shares stories from the Bad Boy Pistons era. The Cedric Maxwell Podcast on CLNS is Powered by: 💰 Prize Picks - Sign up at…

People in this episode

Host: Cedric Maxwell

Guest: Rick Mahorn

Topics covered

• NBA history
• Celtics vs Pistons rivalry
• playoff basketball
• physicality in sports
• modern NBA
• player comparisons

Keywords

• Bad Boy Pistons
• Celtics
• NBA playoffs
• physicality
• Michael Jordan
• Rick Mahorn
• Cedric Maxwell
• Dennis Rodman
• Isaiah Thomas
• Larry Bird

Sponsors

Prize Picks

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Detroit Pistons, Celtics, CLNS Media Network

Places: Boston

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