"He was literally the best player" - Jamal Crawford talks about how it was like to face off against Kobe Bryant

Jamal Crawford shared a great story about Kobe Bryant not acknowledging him in the first seven years of his NBA career. Crawford came into the league in 2000, but it took Bryant until the 2007-08 season to give him his flowers.

In an appearance on FanDuel TV's Run It Back with Michelle Beadle and Shams Charania, Crawford discussed playing against Bryant. He called the LA Lakers legend the best player he has ever faced, and guarding him was no easy feat.

"I was in the league 7 years before he acknowledged me or even knew that I existed," Crawford said. "Guarding him was like no other. He was literally the best player I've ever played against. He had no fear. He can go 1-for-15 and think he was hot.

"His work ethic, his skill. When you knew you were gonna play against him, he wants to take your heart, but you lost sleep the night before."

Kobe Bryant and Jamal Crawford faced each other 28 times in the NBA, with Bryant winning 16 times. They never met in the NBA playoffs, as Crawford spent most of his career in the Eastern Conference.

When he was out in the West, the LA Clippers were great and always made the playoffs. Bryant's Lakers, meanwhile, were poor at the time, so Bryant missed the postseason in the last three years of his career.

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A look back at Jamal Crawford's career

Jamal Crawford during his time with the Atlanta Hawks

Jamal Crawford was drafted eighth overall in the 2000 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was traded to the Chicago Bulls on draft day for Chris Mihm. He spent the first two seasons playing off the bench.

Crawford was a starter in the first part of his career, which also included stints with the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors. It wasn't until he joined the Atlanta Hawks for the 2009-10 season that he became a premier scorer off the bench.

"JCrossover" won the Sixth Man of the Year that season. He added two more as part of the LA Clippers. He also played for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns before retiring in 2020 while playing for the Brooklyn Nets.

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When did Jamal Crawford earn Kobe Bryant's respect?

Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers

Kobe Bryant scored his 20,000th career point on Dec. 23, 2007 against the New York Knicks. Bryant was simply unstoppable at Madison Square Garden, but Jamal Crawford also put on a show. That night, Crawford earned his idol's respect.

"I scored 30 in the second half, and I remember he walked over to me because he wasn't guarding me at first," Crawford. "He said, 'Boy, you hot as a pistol,' and I was like, 'Oh, man.' We never had any real dialogue before, and our relationship really took off from there."