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Once again, Seattle will serve the NBA with another reminder that it remains the home of some of the most passionate basketball fans.
The Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz will play an exhibition game on Tuesday at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, marking the second consecutive year and third in five years that Supersonics luminaries and fans gathered together. In between cheers and claps, that inevitably will raise questions on when the NBA will eventually feature a team in Seattle after the Sonics franchise relocated to Oklahoma City before the 2008-09 season.
“I thought there was no way the team would leave, and we wouldn’t get another team. But that’s exactly what happened,” Jamal Crawford, a former NBA player and Seattle native, told Sportskeeda. “We’ve stayed this patient, but we’ve stayed ready. We’re excited to be a hoops town again.”
Crawford spoke to Sportskeeda on numerous topics, including his outlook on when Seattle will have an NBA team, his ‘Crawsover’ Pro-Am games and his chances to make the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been condensed and edited.
What has the atmosphere been like at the NBA preseason games in Seattle in recent years? (Clippers vs Portland in 2022; Warriors-Kings in 2018)
Crawford:
“The vibe is always exciting. The city gets electric all of a sudden again when NBA hoops is back in town. People are excited. I think the Clippers have done a great job as far as [owner] Steve Ballmer keeping that torch going. It’s been great. They’ve put on a great show. Last year, the fans got to see Kawhi (Leonard) and PG (Paul George) against Damian Lillard [with Portland]. This year, the Clippers will be against Utah, so we’ll get to see some of Utah’s young bright stars.”
Do you feel it’s just a matter of when, not if, the NBA has a team back in Seattle?
Crawford:
“We hope so! We hope so, knowing the effect that the Sonics played on me in my childhood watching GP (Gary Payton) and (Shawn) Kemp and Detlef (Schrempf) and all of those wonderful guys out there. They helped mold my dreams into a reality. I’m excited for the potential that a team gets back there.”
Last summer, [NBA Commissioner] Adam Silver said the league has interest in expanding to Seattle and Las Vegas, but that the short-term focus is on the upcoming negotiations with the media rights deal. What’s your feel on how soon this will play out?
Crawford:
“I have no feel. I said it five years ago and 15 years ago. I’m just hoping that it comes back at this point. I thought there was no way the team would leave, and we wouldn’t get another team. But that’s exactly what happened. We’ve stayed this patient. But we’ve stayed ready. We’re excited to be a hoops town again.”
What’s your sense on how Seattle fans feel overall about that question?
Crawford:
“I think it’s great. I see how they interact with the ‘Crawsover Pro-Am’ and how excited they are when the stars come out. The city is just packed. They come from Vancouver, Portland or anywhere in Idaho just to sit down for a couple of hours to watch their favorite players. I see the excitement level there and then last year going to the pre-season game. I was sitting there courtside and saw the love for the Sonics players that were there with Coach [George] Karl, GP, Kemp, Detlef and Sam Perkins. Seeing the excitement level there was incredible. So I can only imagine what it’ll be like this year. Seeing the fans be that engaged with the game was a major highlight. We all say, ‘We want the Sonics.’ But to actually see them show up and show out, that was really, really cool. They are so well versed. We are such a great sports city with the Seahawks, Mariners, Storm and the Sounders. We are such great fans. It was unbelievable to watch them show up and show out, even though it wasn’t the Sonics.”
Did I read correctly that out of all the Sonics’ players, “The Glove” was your favorite growing up?
Crawford:
“Absolutely!”
Why GP compared to any other Sonics luminary?
Crawford:
“His swag. His swag was so crazy. It’s funny. People are like, ‘How is he your favorite? You didn’t play enough defense! (laughs). I’m like, ‘You’re right! I didn’t! (laughs). But I stole the swagger part from him. Then, he started coming to my games. I actually got a chance to have a relationship with him. He became a big brother. He really helped mentor me, especially when I was just learning the ropes on what it was like to be a star at the high school level and beyond.
In what ways did he help you?
Crawford:
“With my work ethic. He helped me with things off-the-court as well, what to look out for and how to take care of yourself. About getting into a routine, taking naps and small things you don’t think about as you go along this journey. He was unbelievable with helping.”
You have a sense of humor with poking fun at your defense. But knowing you were a prolific scorer, which Sonics scorers impacted you on that front?
Crawford:
“I remember Ricky Pierce, and how quickly he got his shot off. I remember Hersey Hawkins coming out of the game one time icing his knees and how a professional he was. I worked out with Eric Snow and Detlef (Schrempf) when I was in high school. I saw how strong Eric was at the guard position and how pros just didn’t miss open shots. I watched how they took care of themselves and they were absolutely professional with how they approached the game.”
How did you incorporate those things?
Crawford:
“Just being professional as far as on and off the court and knowing it’s a privilege and an honor to be in this position. It’s not something that is expected or you take for granted. It’s about being thankful. Also, they played a huge part with looking out for me. So, I always thought looking out for the next generation was very important.”
What have been the highlights at the ‘Crawsover’ Pro-Am games as it has grown over the years?
Crawford:
“It’s been unbelievable. I took it over from Doug Christie. I started participating in it when I was 17. In 2005 when I was 26, he said, ‘I want you to take it over.’ When he said that, it meant so much to me because I grew up in it and played in it. It helped mold me and shape me with playing against pros. He said, ‘We want you to take it to the next level.’ It took forever to find a consistent venue with where to have it at. We changed it every week. There wasn’t social media then. So, you couldn’t just say, ‘Hey, we’ll be here’ and everybody would then come out. We had flyers back then. It was crazy. Seeing it grow to where it is now? It’s in video games. It’s all over the country and all over the world. It has been a treat. Doug Christie even says, ‘Man, I didn’t think it would get to this level.’ It wouldn’t happen without him. He picked me to spearhead this thing. I do it with a great team."
So I don’t leave anyone out and to illustrate how big that has been, who have been the most notable stars that have participated over the years?
Crawford:
“LeBron [James], Kobe [Bryant], KD [Kevin Durant], Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, LaMarcus Aldridge. Paul George, John Wall, Deandre Ayton, [Jonathan] Kuminga, Isaiah Thomas, Zach LaVine., Jayson Tatum, Aaron Gordon, Trae Young. Paulo Banchero. Bill Russell and Kyrie Irving have come to watch. There have been so many people. It’s hard to remember everybody.
What was your favorite Pro-am performance?
Crawford:
“My personal was when I scored 63 [points] including the game-winner when Kobe came.”
To what extent did Kobe’s presence factor into you wanting to put on a show?
Crawford:
“Well, I was nervous. Basketball royalty was coming to watch me. I wanted to put on a show. I was starting really, really slow because he was there. Then, I started cooking and hit the game-winning shot. I think that’s the most points I scored in a pro-am game, and it happened when he was there."
I saw a lot of your recent YouTube videos. Even at age 43, it still looks like you’re lighting people up…
Crawford:
[Interrupts]. “Absolutely! I’m still getting 50 out there. I’m still playing.”
How much do you see guys trying to test you and see if you still have it?
Crawford:
“Yeah. I have to torch them a little bit and show them I still have it. It keeps me young. These guys are half my age, but I can still do pretty much what I want to on the court. It’s a blessing. I don’t take credit for it. God has blessed me with the body type and the love of the game. So for me, I would be a fool not to keep playing. It’s a great way to stay in shape.”
Do you still maintain your training and diet regimen?
Crawford:
“Yup, I’m still eating differently. I’m eating the same as if I were still a [professional] athlete. I think it does something for me physically, and even more so mentally. It sets the tone for the day, and it keeps me sharp.
What is your regimen?
Crawford:
“I only eat twice a day. I only eat breakfast and dinner. If I need to have a snack in between, I’ll have trail mix or almonds. That’s how I stay light. I cut out candy. I have a lot of water and a lot of fish. I don’t have any red meat."
"I’ve gotten back to playing about three times a week. I had to let the game go [when I retired in 2022] because I could still play, but I wasn’t playing at the [professional] level and wasn’t getting the calls [from teams]. So, I had to let basketball go and take a step back from that regard. But now I’m back in it, and I’m loving it. It’s really, really cool.”
How difficult or easy is it stay so disciplined with this during post retirement?
Crawford:
“BJ Armstrong told me this a long time ago. I have to give him a shoutout. He said, ‘It’s a lifestyle now.’ I feel weird if I don’t do it. It’s not just the way you work. It’s the way you live. You can’t work out like that and then eat candy. It’s a lifestyle. You have to live differently. You have to get your rest. You have to have a lot of water. It’s not just, ‘I’m going to work out more and everything else will take care of itself.’”
[Mavericks coach] Jason Kidd said recently that you should be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer when you’re eligible for 2024. What do you think?
Crawford:
“It’s very, very surreal. I always say, ‘You’re as good or as bad as your peers think you are.’ So for a guy like Jason Kidd to say that, who’s one of the greatest point guards and players ever to play basketball, to say those type of things about me and that they should name awards after me, it shows you that you left an imprint on them and an imprint on the game. It’s not the same level as some of the biggest stars that ever played, but you still carved out your own lane and your own role. That became an imprint."
"I think it’s really, really cool and it’s really, really special. It’s something I don’t take for granted. I walk into a gym and people all over the world say, ‘You helped me become a 6th man.’ I take pride in that. That’s something that’s so cool to me because I didn’t see that in my own future.”
You alluded to it. Jason also said the NBA should name the Sixth Man of the Year award after you. Lou Williams added the award should be named after both of you. What do you think?
Crawford:
“Lou [Williams] has been unbelievable. I saw Manu Ginobili and Jason Terry, and took the baton. Then, I passed it to Lou. Lou was incredible and became an all-time 6th man as well. He had an unbelievable career. Hopefully he is in the Hall of Fame one day. He absolutely brought something different to the game. He brought an impact to the game at that position. He is as good as advertised and one of the greats to play in the game.”
What’s your outlook that the Hall-of-Fame committee will select you?
Crawford:
“I absolutely do not have a feel, whatsoever. I’m just humbled. I’m honestly just shocked that I’m even eligible. I thought, ‘Damn, four years went by that fast?’ I played last in the bubble [in 2020]. I thought that went by quickly. I didn’t think about that part of it. I was absolutely floored that my name was right there among the candidates that are eligible.
Regardless of how that shakes out next year and beyond, you can evaluate Hall-of-Fame candidates based on championships, records, and All-Star appearances. But as Jason alluded, a Hall-of-Fame class can include other players like yourself who impacted the game in different ways. How do you look at that discussion philosophically?
Crawford:
“It’s weird because I didn’t have the All-Star appearances and championships. But if you look at my total number of 3s, I’m top 10 of all time. With four-point plays, I’m up there at the top. Then you look at all-time scoring lists, I’m 58th all-time. When you look at my full body of work, I have more points and a greater impact in a lot of areas than other guys that made All-Star teams or won championships."
"I’m not here to toot my own horn. But since you asked me, I had to answer it. One stat that absolutely shocked me is that I’m fourth all-time in fourth-quarter points in history. That’s insane when you think about all the great players. They started tracking it in 1997. But still when you think about the greatest players that have ever played, that is crazy for a guy coming off the bench. If you’re coming off the bench, that probably means you’re playing with superstars or with great, great players. So to be that high is pretty impressive. I’m thankful for that because I didn’t know that stat [until recently].”
Among all the different stops in your NBA career, which one did you enjoy the most?
Crawford:
“I would say New York. New York was great. I was starting and figuring it out. I didn’t feel our team ever lived up to its potential, but I enjoyed living there and playing there. I got an email a couple of months ago about Heath Ledger coming to a game, and how I helped him fall in love with basketball because he saw me play at the Garden. That’s crazy to me hearing those types of stories. And then playing in LA [with the Clippers], obviously. I played in great cities, but those two stood out. LA had the best combination of my role, talent and chance to win championships. We had fun with ‘Lob City.’” Those two jumped out above the rest for me.”
You scrimmaged against Michael Jordan earlier in your career. What’s your favorite stories from those matchups?
Crawford:
“He never lost. I saw how driven he was. It was unbelievable to watch his preparation at 39 years old, manning a comeback and playing against everybody from Antoine Walker, Penny Hardaway and Ray Allen and never losing. This guy is 39 years old and still dominating. It was incredible to see. What was always so cool is if he had a yellow Jordan outfit on, he had a yellow Ferrari outside to match his outfit. That was pretty cool. He showed he was on a different level.”
Is it true you two bet cars against each other?
Crawford:
“That’s not true. It’s funny you say that. We’ll address that on TV.”
Did you ever show him anything where you felt you gained his respect?
Crawford:
“The first time I played against him, I feel like my team won. That’s what earned him the respect. The next day, they called me and asked, ‘Where are you at? The run starts at 2 pm, and MJ is waiting on you. Get down here!’ We started playing together. That’s when we never lost. That’s the ultimate sign of respect.
After serving as an analyst on NBA TV, what are your big-picture goals in the broadcast space?
Crawford:
“It’s going great, honestly. I didn’t think I would be doing this. I thought I’d be involved with a front office, somehow, with working with a team and helping that way. But for me, I thought popping in for Chuck [Charles Barkley] was really cool. When I did that, I had so much fun. I thought, ‘I can do this.’ Then they hired me full time and now I’m bit by the bug. I want to be better at this than at basketball. I want to be really good at it. I have a lot of work to do, but I’m enjoying it.”
What’s your outlook on filling Kenny Smith’s role in “Inside the NBA” whenever he decides to hang it up?
Crawford:
“Who knows where it takes me. But for me, it’s just about learning every aspect of the business and knowing how things work. I went from hosting ‘Crawford’s Couch’ to doing analyst work to writing different things. I’m learning different aspects of the business, and then going from there.”
Mark Medina is an NBA Insider at Sportskeeda. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.
