As the NBA restarts its season, Jamal Crawford, the oldest player in the league and one of the newest Nets, plays a little one-on-one with Steve Serby, talking about his new team, his old team across town and how he’s stayed in the league so long.
Q: How do you view the Nets with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving next season?
A: It will be unbelievable, because they’re saying like these guys are two superpowers coming together with a host of really, really, really good players. They have a real friendship and I think that will be at the root of everything. I think they’ll be able to work through anything just on their true friendship they have. And there’ll be good and bad times, right, during the course of a season? Whatever it is, they’ll figure it out.
Q: So that makes them a championship contender, correct?
A: I would say … yes, absolutely.
Q: How would you like to be part of that?
A: Oh, that would be unbelievable for me ’cause those are two of my closest friends in the league, that I haven’t actually played with, but just have genuine friendship. I’m just trying to stay in the moment, be thankful for this opportunity.
Q: What did you think about Kyrie committing $1.5 million to help pay WNBA players who opted out?
A: That doesn’t surprise me, to be honest with you. Ky is always doing something. Think about the things he’s done, from the stuff with social justice, the stuff with the WNBA, to the stuff that happened with the pandemic. He was never one to put it out there like, “Hey I did this, this or that.” Kyrie does a lot of things that people may not know about.
Q: Jarrett Allen?
A: The first thing that comes to mind is he will be a star big man for years to come. And it won’t be the traditional 20-and-10-type star big man. It may be 14 or 15 and 10 and five blocks and two steals. I think he’s a prototypical big man in today’s NBA. He’s so young, he’s so curious, he’s asking questions, he’s so thoughtful.
Q: Why can Caris LeVert be special?
A: His humility. He’s always asking questions, he’s always trying to learn. His work ethic … (Tuesday) night we were working out at 11 o’clock at night. He can do some of everything on the court. He’s unselfish. I really believe he’s a cross between Penny Hardaway and Joe Johnson.
Q: Coach Jacque Vaughn?
A: I really, really like him, I like his approach, I like his energy, I like how he conducts business, I like how he knows how to sprinkle in some fun. Everybody on this team knows he cares.
Q: Your message for Nets fans?
A: For now, stay with us, and the future is so, so bright.
Q: How do you think Tom Thibodeau will do as Knicks coach?
A: Obviously being familiar with that market, I think he’ll be prepared, I think he’ll build the culture, and I think he’ll bring strong leadership. They’ll be very businesslike, for sure.
Q: Why did you opt-out with the T-Wolves?
A: Even though we made the playoffs, it wasn’t an enjoyable environment for me. I’ve talked to guys who have really enjoyed the whole situation playing for Thibs. You just have to ask, I guess, the people that played for him multiple years.
Q: World Wide Wes?
A: I’ve known him since I was in high school.
Q: How is he going to help the Knicks?
A: Relationships. Wes knows everybody. And not one person I know has a bad thing to say about him. And that’s hard to do in this business. So respected on so many levels. He just has great character. I think he brings a legit perspective that people really, really look towards, so he’ll be a huge, huge asset.
Q: Leon Rose?
A: I love him. I’ve never even worked with him, but I’ve known him since I was with the Bulls because Rick Brunson was like a mentor for me on that team and he was with Leon, so I got a chance to know Leon and be around him a lot. Love that guy.
Q: Your message to Knicks fans?
A: I think the plan is in place to really go forward. I believe they’re really on the right track. Their future’s bright.
Q: Why did this country take so long to discover that Black Lives Matter?
A: That’s a great question. I’m not sure they took so long to discover it; I think they took a long time to really address it head-on. They’ve known for a while that they’ve kind of hid behind the fact that it’s not really affecting everybody else right now. But now it’s to the point where it’s undeniable, to the point where you can’t turn the other way. Either you’re part of the solution, or you’re part of the problem.
Q: Does that make you angry that it took so long, or maybe relieved that it’s finally here?
A: Both. It’s like it shouldn’t take modern-day lynching for everybody to say, “Oh no, this has gone too far.” Because you know what? There’s a lot of lynchings that happen that weren’t caught on video, so it didn’t necessarily strike a chord because people are like, “Oh I didn’t see it. I heard about it, or I read about it,” but actually seeing it, it really struck a chord. Even me to this day, my wife always says this — when I’m driving a car, and the police are around, she says I tense up, and I really do. I have a license, I have registration, everything is good, but it’s like just the fact that at a certain point, sometimes they can do whatever they want, and say, “Oh this happened, or this didn’t happen, or this guy tried to draw for a gun.” All of those things play on my mind, and they always have and no amount of money or fame or anything could ever change that for me personally.
Even as a younger man, flying first class sometimes, right, people look, and kinda get that feeling when they’re walking to their seats or when they sit down, just that feeling almost like, “What are you doing here?” It’s a real thing, and that’s just on a smaller level.
Q: Why did you choose to wear EQUALITY on the back of your jersey?
A: Because at the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want? Not to see a color, not to see financial status, not to see male versus female, not to see anything. We all just want to be looked at as equal.
Q: In all your years of watching NBA players and playing in the NBA, was there one guy who reminded you of you?
A: When I was a kid, I used to ask people, “Hey, who do I play like?” And they were like, “Well, you have a little bit of him and a little bit of him, and maybe a little bit of him.” That was the most disheartening, because I’m like, “How am I gonna make this top level if I don’t play like anybody that plays there?” So now I’m kinda thankful for the fact that I still don’t really play like anybody as far as style goes.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Twenty years, I’ve never been asked that! I would describe my style as free-flowing … entertaining … smooth in a way … kinda crazy, a little crazy.
Q: Crazy how?
A: Just the shot attempts: “I cannot believe he tried that.” I would say my style’s unique. “It’s not for everybody” — I get that too.
Q: Adjectives for your on-court mentality.
A: Assassin … aggressive.
Q: How about fearless?
A: Oh that’s definitely one, yes, I’m so fearless on the court for sure.
Q: What makes you fearless on the court?
A: I’ve seen a quote from Michael Jordan a long time ago, like — “Work ethic eliminates fear.” And so for me, I know I’ve worked on every shot I’ve tried, I’ve worked on it thousands upon thousands upon thousands of times. And even if you miss doesn’t mean you’ll miss the next one. Even Stephon Marbury, the last thing he said to me (2017), was “Stay fearless.” He must have liked that part about me.
Q: Your reaction when (then-GM) Donnie Walsh traded you from the Knicks in 2008?
A: I was shocked, I was hurt. That was the first time I’d ever been traded. At the time, I was averaging 20-plus points, and Zach Randolph the same thing, and it was the best start in the last 10 years. I had been there with so many down years, I wanted to be loyal and be there when things turned around, and be part of the reason, I didn’t want to run just because of the challenge. I get it — 2010 (LeBron free agency) was coming up, and Zach and I made the most.
Q: You’ve played for 20 head coaches, Doc Rivers is among your favorites?
A: Doc never used what I didn’t do well against me. He uplifted what I did do well. What I’ve learned about myself is that I enjoy playing for guys who actually played the game, whether it be Isiah (Thomas), Mike Woodson, Doc, or Vinny Del Negro, or Herb Williams.
Q: How did you learn of the Kobe tragedy?
A: My son plays on a basketball team and I was talking to one of the other parents, who actually has a daughter, and he was like, “Hey, I’m gonna miss the boys basketball challenge this weekend because I’m taking my daughter down to the Mamba Academy. Hey if I see Kobe, I’m gonna tell him that I know you.” I said, “Oh man, he’s cool. Great guy.”
Q: Then your friend called on Sunday when you were at the gym watching the boys game.
A: The first thing I’m thinking is like, “Oh, he bumped into Kobe, I’m about to talk to Kobe and kinda catch up.” And then he tells me the news, and this was before it was public, because he was actually in the facility. But he didn’t have all the details about how he passed. … My wife came out and checked on me. I just started crying, tears came down her face.
Q: Kobe once rearranged his plans at the last minute to watch you play in your pro-am.
A: It meant everything. I considered him a friend for sure.
Q: What was it like playing against him?
A: Never played against a better player.
Q: The night you scored 52 points at the Garden was your favorite Knicks memory.
A: I’ve scored 50 other times, but that was like the hottest night of my life, even in a workout, summer game, whatever … with the whole world watching, in the world’s most famous arena. I had 52 and I came out with seven minutes to go, that could have easily been a 65-point game, that’s how hot I was. That’s Isiah (Thomas) calling great plays, that’s Stephon (Marbury) passing the ball, Nate (Robinson) passing the ball, David Lee, Channing Frye, Q-Rich (Quentin Richardson), those guys getting me open.
Q: Winning Sixth Man of the Year three times.
A: I never looked at it like, “Hey I want to be one of the best bench guys of all time.” But I got tired of being known as a good player on bad teams. It kinda changed the course of my career and that was Year 10.
Q: How well did you know Tom Brady at Michigan?
A: Our basketball team manager at the time was very close with Tom, they grew up together in California. When Tom was a backup, he would say, “Man, they just need to play Tom more, I’m telling you.”
Q: What NBA dreams did you have as a young boy?
A: I used to collect trading cards. I could tell you about any player, because I collected cards. I spent so much time on the basketball court, especially the blacktop. At that time, if you were lucky enough to get on the court with the adults, they were kinda teaching you as we were going along. You learned to be able to play without the basketball, you knew you weren’t gonna get but maybe one shot a game, so you better make it if they pick you up. Here I am 12, 13 years old playing against grown men. … I used to sneak into NBA games. Sometimes I’d get there really early and I would see guys who were working out pregame, and they would be playing music over the loudspeakers. At the time, I’m like, “Oh, this is the music NBA players are listening to, I need to go home to listen to this so I can have a better chance of making it to the NBA,” not knowing that it was just a house deejay playing whatever was on there. I dreamed about it for so long. Everybody knows if you saw me, you saw me with a basketball, no matter what age, where I was. If I flew on an airplane, the basketball was my carry-on, if I went to the mall, I would have a basketball, I’d go to sleep with the basketball next to me in my bed.
Q: What were your favorite trading cards?
A: It was a random pack, so I learned so many players through that. You were lucky if you got a Michael Jordan or a Magic Johnson or Isiah Thomas card. That was kinda rare. So I was able to learn so many different players, and their jersey numbers and the college they went to and the city they were from and their height and weight, and then start looking up to these players. … An expensive card that was really nice, I would put double plastic on it so it wouldn’t bend. I had it all down to a science. I had basically a folder with plastic spaces in it so I could put cards in there as well. I had them all by teams — all my New York Knicks cards would go in this section, all my Chicago Bulls in this section, all the way down.
Q: The Crawsover League in your native Seattle.
A: We’ve had so many great players come play, and they do it for free. The magic is that you never know who you’re gonna see each weekend ’cause we have surprise guests. I’m invested actually in Shoot 360, it’s where basketball meets technology, it’s kinda the future of training. And then I was working with Detlef Schemp and Bill Russell with the Erase The Hate cause raising money for nonprofits all over the country.
Q: Three dinner guests.
A: Barack Obama; Jay-Z; Michael Jordan.
Q: Favorite film.
A: Coming to America.
Q: Favorite actor.
A: Denzel Washington.
Q: Favorite actress.
A: Halle Berry.
Q: Favorite meal.
A: Salmon and salad.
Q: How much longer do you want to play?
A: As long as I can.
Q: Would coaching or being a GM appeal to you one day?
A: GM would be unbelievable because I love playing fake GM now. Or probably get into broadcasting, one of the two.
Q: What are you most proud of about your career?
A: That I was always able to adjust.
Q: The key to your longevity?
A: Staying in love with the game, when you stay in love with the game, you’re willing to take cold baths, you’re willing to get acupuncture, you’re willing to stay in shape, you’re willing to do everything that comes along with it. It still feels like I’m living a dream. I’m just gonna enjoy this moment, and enjoy this as long as it lasts, and try and help us to get to these playoffs and make some noise.
Q: Is it true that life begins at 40?
A: I turned 20 twice, so I don’t know what 40 is feeling like.