"Go back to the kitchen…make me some bacon and eggs" - Cedric Maxwell on a female NBA referee in 2007
In February 2007, Cedric Maxwell drew criticism for a controversial comment aimed at female referee Violet Palmer. During a Boston Celtics vs. Houston Rockets game, the radio analyst disagreed with one of her calls, leading to his chauvinistic remarks on air.
“Go back to the kitchen,” Maxwell told listeners and then continued. “Go in there and make me some bacon and eggs, would you?"
Maxwell's Celtics journey
It's not surprising that Maxwell when it comes to his beloved Celtics, might get a bit carried away. After all, the now 68-year-old has spent a significant portion of his life connected to the historic franchise.
This relationship began after the NBA Draft in 1977 when the C’s selected him 12th overall. ‘Cornbread’ then evolved into a great low-post scorer with a variety of moves, including a deadly hook shot. As a sophomore, Maxwell already posted impressive stats of 19 points and nine rebounds.
While he later took on a more toned-down role within the team, he remained a great backup option. So great, in fact, that he became Finals MVP in 1981, beating out teammate Larry Bird for the award. In total, Cedric won two championship titles with the team, and his number 8 jersey was retired in 2003.
In the early 2000s, Maxwell made the pivot and has been announcing Boston Celtics games on the radio ever since.
Shattering stereotypes
However, the realization that his comment went beyond humor and reflected outdated prejudices struck him soon after the subsequent "firestorm," as he called it.
"If I said anything that might have been insensitive or sexist in any way, then I apologize because she worked extremely hard to get where she is now, end of quote," he remarked before the next C’s game against the Knicks.
Despite the apology, his remark provided clear evidence that specific segments of the NBA sphere were struggling with diversity issues across the league back then, a sentiment Commissioner Adam Silver is still committed to addressing nowadays.
“The goal is: Going forward, it should be roughly 50-50 of new officials entering the league. Same for coaches, by the way,” Silver remarked in 2019, per Bleacher Report.
Staying true to his words, a record 12 women worked games in the 2020-21 NBA season. In October 2022, Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher joined the ranks, adding to Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Simone Jelks, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago, Jenna Schroeder, and Danielle Scott as women at the full-time NBA referee level.
Breaking barriers successfully, the roster of female referees is visibly growing, which is a great thing, something that stands in stark contrast to Maxwell's statements from that time.
