Clippers React to Jamal Crawford Retiring
Jamal Crawford has officially retired from the NBA. He was a two-time Sixth Man of the Year for the LA Clippers, and a perennial fan-favorite. Crawford left a positive mark on the Clipper franchise, and as such, is remembered fondly by players and fans.
“Goodbye to the game, all the spoils the adrenaline rush," Jamal Crawford said in a tweet. "Thank you basketball, I owe you everything."
Many staff members on the Clippers share ties to Crawford, whether it be from the coaching side or player side. Ty Lue both coached and played against Crawford.
“All the 50-point games on different teams, all the Sixth Man of the Year awards," Lue said. "Coming in, he was playing for the Bulls, you knew he was gonna be an exciting player. He's always been a tough cover for me when I played against him. Just being 6'6, can shoot over the top, can get his shot off any time. Seeing the job he’s done in his career is phenomenal.”
When Nicolas Batum was a much younger player, he also played with Crawford on the Portland Trail Blazers; this was before Crawford was coached by Ty Lue and won an additional two Sixth Man of the Year awards. Batum saw first hand just how much Crawford enjoyed the pure sport of basketball.
“This guy really loved the game of basketball. He’s a true lover of the game. So talented. I had the chance to play one year with him in the lockout year with the Blazers. He was a great vet, I've been in the league for 3 years at that point, and he was always talking to me and giving me advice...This guy was never an All-Star, but he clearly had the talent to be an all-sta multiple times. Three time Sixth Man of the Year, but he could’ve been a starter easily.”
The Clippers social media also showed love to Crawford's retirement.
Jamal Crawford may have finished his career never becoming an all-star, but that didn't stop him from being one of the most impactful bench players in history, scoring 19,419 career points.
