Background and career
Aaron Jamal Crawford (born March 20, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2000 to 2020. Nicknamed "J-Crossover", he is regarded as one of the best ball handlers in NBA history. Also regarded as one of the best sixth men in league's history, Crawford was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year three times, a record he shares with Lou Williams. Among other distinctions, Crawford was once the NBA’s all-time leader in career four-point plays. On April 9, 2019, he became not only the oldest player to score 50+ points in an NBA game, but also the first player to have 50-point outings with four franchises. The 51-point tally also reached the most points ever scored by a reserve. In NBA history, Crawford ranks 30th with four 50+ point games accrued (tied with 11 others, including George Mikan and Larry Bird) and 13th all-time in career three-point field goals made (2,221). Crawford is the second player in NBA history to have scored 10,000+ career points off the bench. In 2021, he began providing commentary on NBA League Pass, The NBA on TNT until 2024, and on select games of MSG Network's coverage of the New York Knicks starting in 2024.
Growing up in South Seattle, Crawford played for Rainier Beach High, a school that has produced a number of other NBA and college players such as Doug Christie, Nate Robinson, Terrence Williams, Kevin Porter Jr., and Dejounte Murray. Jamal led the Vikings to capture the 1998 Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) State Championship. In 2001, Rainier Beach retired his number 23 jersey to commemorate his impact; and in 2018, it inducted him into its Hall of Fame to honor his legacy.
Having earned a scholarship to the University of Michigan, Crawford committed to play college basketball with the Wolverines under coach Brian Ellerbe. At the start of the 1999–00 season, however, he incurred a six-game suspension from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); it retroactively ruled that his high school living arrangement had breached its bylaws on amateurism. The controversial ruling was protested by the university, although to no avail. After the suspension, Crawford joined the starting lineup and went on to average 16.6 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds on the season. Following his freshman campaign, he declared for the 2000 NBA draft.. Note: Jamal only played the first 15 games of Michigan’s 2000 season
Crawford was selected 8th overall in the 2000 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers but was then traded to the Chicago Bulls in a draft-day deal that included the rights to Chris Mihm. In his first year as a Bull, in 2000–01, Crawford struggled with his shot, converting only 35.2 percent from the field. Even so, the rookie was able to score in double-digits 10 times. He averaged 4.6 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists across 61 games (8 starting). In his second NBA season, 2001–02, injury limited Crawford to 23 games (6 starting). Nevertheless, he improved across nearly all statistical categories by averaging 9.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists as well as by converting 44.8 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. In his third campaign with the Bulls, 2002–03, Crawford emerged as a key component of coach Bill Cartwright's offense. His per-game averages improved further to 10.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1 steal across 80 games (31 starting). The Bulls would miss the playoffs with a 30–52 record. His fourth NBA season, 2003–04, would be his last in Chicago. Promoted to starting shooting guard, Crawford averaged 17.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest. On April 11, 2004, he came away with 50 points against the Toronto Raptors in his third to last game as a Bull. The Bulls won in overtime, 114–108, but not before Crawford made 6 three-pointers and recorded 24 points in the fourth quarter alone. Before the start of the 2004–05 season, he was traded, along with Jerome Williams, to the New York Knicks in exchange for Dikembe Mutombo, Othella Harrington, Frank Williams, and Cezary Trybanski.
Crawford joined another young and rebuilding team in the New York Knicks. In his first year with the franchise, the 2004–05 season, he played 70 games (67 starting) and averaged 17.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest. His scoring exceeded 20 points in many games, to include a notable win over the Charlotte Bobcats on December 4 where he had 41 points on 17-of-25 shooting. The Knicks would fall short of the playoffs. In his second year in New York City, the 2005–06 season, he took a reduced sixth man role under head coach Larry Brown. Though it took some time, Crawford ended up embracing the new role. He average 14.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists across 79 games (27 starting). The Knicks, with a record of 23–59, fell short of the playoffs. Deciding to go in a new direction in 2006–07, the Knicks replaced Larry Brown with Isiah Thomas as head coach, the team's fourth replacement of that position in three years. Crawford was limited to 59 games (36 starting) due to an ACL injury; but he averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists on the season. In 2007–08, he was put back in the starting lineup for all 80 games that he played. He averaged 20.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Crawford provided the 23–59 Knicks with one of the few bright spots on January 26, 2007: He scored a career-high 52 points, with 16 of his shots being made consecutively and 8 of his three-pointers being one short of the franchise record set in 2002 by Latrell Sprewell. In 2008–09, he would play only 11 games for the Knicks before being dealt to the Golden State Warriors in a trade for Al Harrington.
Crawford proved an ideal fit in the run-and-gun offense of coach Don Nelson due to his three-point shooting and ball-handling ability as well as court-vision. He played in 54 games for the Warriors in 2008–09 and started in each one. Crawford averaged nearly 20 points per contest as well as 4.4 assists and 1.5 rebounds. During a 110–103 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on December 20, 2008, Crawford scored 50 points; thus he became the fourth player in NBA history—after only Wilt Chamberlain, Bernard King, and Moses Malone—to score 50+ points with three teams. At the end of the season, the Atlanta Hawks acquired Crawford in a trade for guards Acie Law and Speedy Claxton.
