Jamal Crawford played nearly two decades in the NBA, his career intersecting with the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. And yet, well, his new gig still sort of gives him goosebumps.
Starting this season, Crawford will be a full-time member of the NBA on TNT Tuesday night show—a role he played part time last season—trading quips and insights with WNBA legend Candace Parker, Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and host Adam Lefkoe. The very thought of it admittedly makes him a little giddy.
“I've never been jaded,” Crawford said on The Crossover podcast, in his first extensive interview since joining Turner Sports full time. The network made the hiring official on Thursday. “Like, Tupac wore Shaq's jersey! Biggy Smalls wore Shaq's jersey! Michael Jackson, in his apartment in New York, had a life-size cut out of Shaq! Like Shaq's unbelievable. And I've never, ever, ever been jaded by that.”
He added: “I’m still sitting there like, ‘Dang, that’s Shaq.’ Or, ‘Dang, that’s Charles (Barkley).’ Or, ‘Dang, that’s Kenny (Smith).’ Or, ‘That’s Ernie (Johnson) right there.’ Like, I’m such a student and a fan of the game. And I just have a certain level of regard, respect, for these guys that came before me. That will never leave. The kid in me will always be there.”
Crawford, one of the most creative scorers of his era and a three-time Sixth Man of the Year, replaces Dwyane Wade on the Tuesday show, after Wade departed to focus on other interests. As part of his multiyear deal with Turner, Crawford will also appear regularly on NBATV Center Court and NBA GameTime. He’ll make his debut this season with an NBA Twitter Live show on opening night, Oct. 18.
It’s not a career transition the 42-year-old Crawford ever envisioned. As recently as a year ago, he was still hoping to extend his playing career. As those hopes faded, Crawford started fielding offers from teams looking to add him to their coaching or front-office staffs. Then he picked up a few fill-in shifts with TNT and NBATV, and got hooked—“I got bit by the bug,” he said.
“You get this thing that you fall in love with, and you didn't even know it was there,” Crawford said, “and that's what's so cool about it.”
The full Crossover episode with Crawford publishes Friday morning. Listen and subscribe here.
Among other topics, Crawford weighs in on the challenges facing the Suns (in the wake of the Robert Sarver controversy) and the Celtics (in the wake of coach Ime Udoka’s suspension), and picks his favorites to make the Eastern and Western conference finals. He also reveals how close the Clippers came to boycotting a playoff game in 2014, after the revelation of owner Donald Sterling’s racist remarks.
