After being without a team for more than a year, veteran guard Jamal Crawford was given an opportunity to return to NBA by Brooklyn Nets earlier this month. According to Crawford, the Nets’ offer surprised him a bit as he was starting to accept that his career might be over.
“I thank God,” Crawford told reporters in a conference call on Wednesday. “I thank all the people that supported me, and it’s a blessing, it really is, because I’ve been on the outside for a year, and once it gets to a certain point, you’re not sure that call’s going to happen, and you kind of have to face that reality as well.”
Brooklyn found themselves in a tough situation ahead of NBA season restart in Orlando, as almost half of their team couldn’t make the trip. All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were previously out for the season due to injuries. At the same time, the likes of Wilson Chandler, Spencer Dinwiddie, and DeAndre Jordan opted out due to coronavirus pandemic concerns.
In attempts to fill out the roster, Nets turned to the free-agent market, and getting Jamal Crawford was a logical move. Despite being long past his prime, Crawford showed last season that he can still play, contributing with 7.9 points and 3.6 points for Phoenix Suns.
Crawford, who also played with Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, and LA Clippers among other teams, has career averages of 14.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He was selected as the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year three times.
Nets’ interim head coach Jacque Vaughn previously told reporters that he is excited to welcome Crawford to his team and thinks he’ll be able to contribute both on and off the court.
“So we’ll be very smart how we use him, but his ability just to play the game of basketball and provide opportunities for shots for himself and others, it’s definitely going to be needed because he can create his own shot,” said Vaughn.
