During the beginning of the All-Star Weekend, Jamal Crawford was seen teaching a few moves to Victor Wembanyama to improve the latter’s handles.

Over the weekend, during the podcast, Draymond Green asked JC to talk about Wemby. Crawford, who is known for his excellent analysis, believed that Gregg Popovich will be responsible for the 7ft 4” youngster’s success. Before recalling an incident that left Crawford in awe of the European, the three-time Sixth Man of the Year revealed how he wasn’t sure what Wemby’s best attribute was.

“Before he came in the league, I said he obviously has a cheat code in Pop, right? But I said his skill, whatever he does best early, we don’t know. But, Pop’s going to play him to his strength… The cheat is Pop though because I don’t think Wemby’s best attribute is scoring. I’m not sure what it is right now,” Crawford claimed.

As surprising as it may sound, despite the surreal hype, Crawford believes that the 20-year-old is better than what he’s projected to be.

“He’s actually better than the hype. It’s insane,” Crawford boldly claimed.

Wembanyama has arguably been the most hyped player to enter the NBA since LeBron James. Some analysts even claimed that Wemby needed to have a Hall-of-Fame type career in order to live up to all the expectations. Despite the fans’ lofty demands so far, the San Antonio Spurs big man has been meeting the expectations, averaging 20.5 points, 10 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game this season.

Victor Wembanyama talks about his rookie season

Over the All-Star Weekend, Victor Wembanyama was a part of TNT’s broadcast, answering questions that Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson Jr. had prepared for him.

Wemby spoke about his rookie year experience, so far, explaining how he’s been lucky to learn what he has and face the many challenges he did.

“It’s been a pleasure also to be on that court and experience this. I’ve learned so much in just a couple months more than in any little span like this before in my life and just living the dream… It’s been a lot of challenges, it’s been hard but I wouldn’t want it to be easy,” Wemby said.

Wemby also said that the constant losing has been extremely tough for him.

“I think actually this (losing) has been the one of the hard things you know this season,” Wembanyama said.

To be fair, the San Antonio Spurs weren’t expected to be a playoff-contending team. At the same time, fans wouldn’t even expect them to sit dead last in the Western Conference standings.

In terms of individual performance, Wemby’s incredible production has been one of the very few positive takeaways for the Texas side. It won’t be surprising to see the Spurs center win the Rookie of the Year once the 2023-24 season gets over.

The post “The Cheat Code Is…”: Jamal Crawford and Draymond Green Discuss Victor Wembanyama’s ‘Greatest Strength’ During All-Star Weekend appeared first on The SportsRush.

Luka Doncic’s performance from his first six professional campaigns has impressed enthusiasts from all over the world. Jason Kidd, who has had the privilege of coaching Luka for the last three years, is among the many personalities from the basketball world to be left in awe. According to the 50-year-old, the Slovenian has already surpassed Dirk Nowitzki as the better player. He further stated that the 6ft 7” guard was in the same tier as the game’s greatest players.

“He’s [Doncic] better than Dirk. He’s in the atmosphere of MJ, the best to ever do it, LeBron, Kobe,” Jason Kidd exclaimed.

 

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Shaquille O’Neal, who previously shared Kidd’s comments on his Instagram Story, now disagrees with the same. On TNT Tuesday, Shaq simply stated that it was way too early in Luka’s career to compare him to legendary players. However, he did admit that Doncic was a “great player”.

“A little too early for that. Great player… But, I’ve seen a lot of guys that played great in their first four years… Great player, but better than Dirk? A little too early,” Shaq said.

The Big Aristotle double downed on his take by stating that Stephen Curry deserved to be compared to the mentioned legends before Doncic. And if Luka wanted to be in the same rank as them, he’d have to surpass Curry.

“Great player, but I don’t think you can start putting him in that category yet. Not before my boy Steph Curry,” Shaq said.

“Great player but I don’t think you can start putting him in that category yet. … Great player but better than Dirk? A little too early.”@Shaq on Jason Kidd’s claim that Luka is “better than Dirk” and “in the atmosphere of MJ” pic.twitter.com/NsxiCV6kGK

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 7, 2024

Luka Doncic has had a terrific career, so far. Since joining the league in 2018, the European prodigy has already been selected to five All-Star Games and four All-NBA Teams while averaging 28.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game. Doncic is only 24 years old, which means he will further improve as he grows older and will rack up several more individual accolades. However, as of now, it is inaccurate to claim that Doncic’s career is distinguished enough to put him alongside the likes of Jordan, LeBron, and Bryant.

Jamal Crawford is tired of the Michael Jordan-Luka Doncic comparisons

Jamal Crawford, also a part of the TNT Tuesday panel, agreed with Shaquille O’Neal. The legendary guard did express his faith in Luka Doncic, stating that the latter was on track to become an all-time great.

“Luka’s on his way to be one of the greats,” Crawford said.

After stating that Doncic hasn’t yet deserved these comparisons, Crawford made a bold claim. According to the three-time Sixth Man of the Year, Michael Jordan was the greatest player of all time. Crawford revealed being tired of people comparing players to Jordan.

“I’m kind of tired of people throwing around Michael Jordan’s name. We talking about MJ, he’s the best ever… he’s too good to be compared to (anyone),” Crawford said.

“I’m kind of tired of people throwing around Michael Jordan’s name. … He’s the best ever. He’s too good to be compared to.”@JCrossover on Jason Kidd’s claim that Luka is “better than Dirk” and “in the atmosphere of MJ” pic.twitter.com/Qk4D01NcNc

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 7, 2024

Doncic has had a historic career, however, MJ’s performance in his first six seasons was far more impressive. The 6ft 6” shooting guard was on a tear, averaging 32.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2.8 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. Apart from making it to all the All-Star Games, five All-NBA Teams, and three All-Defensive Teams, Jordan had also won the Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year award.

The post What Did Shaquille O’Neal Say About Luka Doncic? NBA Legend Responds to Jason Kidd’s Michael Jordan Comparison appeared first on The SportsRush.

It is important to remember that Shaq hadn’t won a segment against his fellow analysts going into the contest. During the game, just like many had expected, Shaq wasn’t fairing well, failing to score a single point till the last question. On the other hand, Parker stood at 300 points and JCrossover stood at 100.

As the last question rolled around, Shaq knew it was now or never. Luckily for him, the last question was worth 500 points, enough for the big man to swoop in and take first place against his peers.

Asking the final question, host Adam Lefkoe said, “These two clues will connect to make the name of a Dallas Mavericks big man. Shaq’s middle name and Sherlock’s last name.”

.@SHAQ was hyped to finally get a win over @Candace_Parker and @JCrossover pic.twitter.com/W7Kq42u4sg

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 17, 2024

Listening to the question, Shaq quickly responded “Rashaun Holmes”. Surprisingly enough, the quick answer from Shaq turned out to be correct, which led to him being awarded 500 points. As a result, he was also declared the winner of the competition.

Both Candace Parker and Jamal Crawford were in complete disbelief, as Shaq proceeded to break into a dance in the middle of the show. Even though it was just a game of Connecting Clues, the trio sure did make things intensely competitive. After Shaq’s win, Crawford protested the outcome, claiming that Shaq had said ‘Rashaun Holmes’ when the Mavericks player is named ‘Richaun Holmes’. However, Lefkoe paid no heed to his protests.

During Shaq’s dance, Parker decided to express her frustration by breaking Shaq’s nameplate from the show, “Blacker than Berry”, in half. She then threw one piece of the board at Crawford and walked off the set. Parker’s disappointment wasn’t surprising. She was leading the contest by 200 points before the last question was asked.

As for Shaq, he continued to dance to his victory song. On the other hand, Parker made her disappointment known, telling Adam Lefkoe and the TNT crew, “Get out of here, every year y’all cheat. I am done playing games with y’all.”

Shaquille O’Neal had his Candace Parker moment as well

Shaquille O’Neal and trivia games don’t go so well together, even if it’s about basketball. During another recent segment of ‘Jeopardy!’ on NBA on TNT, analysts Candace Parker, Shaquille O’Neal, and Jamal Crawford battled it out, as Shaq did nothing more than embarrass himself on national television.

During the game, Shaq falsely proclaimed that Mercury had its own asteroids, which made everyone realize that general knowledge is not the big fella’s forte. But that wasn’t all, as Crawford would go on to dominate the field, answering very complex questions with ease.

During the final set of questions, both Shaq and Crawford pressed the button at the same time, but Lefkoe chose to award Crawford the opportunity to answer. In response, Shaquille O’Neal started smashing his board against his podium, shattering the piece of stationary in seconds.

.@SHAQ lost his cool when @JCrossover dominated Celebrity Jeopardy pic.twitter.com/OfJtfud56Z

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 18, 2023

But unlike Charles Barkley, Shaq does have his “moments of glory”. During a 2020 “Neat-O-Stat” trivia night special, the TNT crew was left completely dumbfounded when Shaq took home the first place. After the victory, Charles told his co-hosts, “We lost to dum-dum.”

But as expected, Shaq’s victory didn’t go over without a complaint, as both Kenny and the Chuckster argued with Ernie Johnson over the scorekeeping.

The post WATCH: Shaquille O’Neal Breaks into Dance While Candace Parker ‘Angrily’ Snaps ‘Blacker the Berry’ Board appeared first on The SportsRush.

Crawford was a teammate of Paul’s during the Los Angeles Clippers’ Lob City era. This same Clippers squad was the final team to defeat the Golden State Warriors in the playoff before their championship run began.

“Bro, we were the last team to put the Warriors out before they went on their championship run,” Crawford said.

Jamal Crawford also shed light on the famous State Farm commercial in which Stephen Curry is playing the “little bro” role to Chris Paul. From their stint in the State Farm commercial from a decade ago to sharing the court, Crawford is weirded out seeing CP3 don the GSW jersey.

“I remember like Steph being the little bro in State Farm commercials with CP. So, to see them together is crazy. I just saw him two weeks ago when I called a game, it’s just weird even seeing him in that color… It just looks weird,” Crawford revealed.

Chris Paul has played in the Western Conference for the entirety of his 19-year career. From the beginning of the 2010s to the last season, Chris Paul battled it out against the Bay Area side on numerous occasions. Considering CP3’s rivalry with the Warriors, and Curry in particular, it is hard to disagree with Jamal Crawford regarding the weirdness of Paul’s move.

Chris Paul is leading the Warriors’ second unit

Initially, just like several enthusiasts and analysts, even Chris Paul felt weird about the move. Following the very first game of the season, The Point God admitted that he wasn’t accustomed to the Chase Center cheering for him.

“I couldn’t help but laugh. That was a first,” Chris Paul on the Warriors’ support.

Chris Paul couldn’t help but laugh during the “CP3” chants tonight pic.twitter.com/BvBxo5eSPw

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 25, 2023

With Stephen Curry already running the point guard position for Steve Kerr’s side, fans wondered how Chris Paul would fit in the roster. After the first few games, the coaching staff decided that it would be for the best if the 38-year-old came off the bench.

Even though Paul had differing opinions about being demoted to the bench, he has been fulfilling his role exceptionally well. Paul has been doing a phenomenal job leading the team’s second unit – Dario Saric, Mooses Mody, and Andrew Wiggins, among others.

Coming off the bench, the 6-footer point guard has been averaging 7.1 assists per game while committing merely 1.1 turnovers. Apart from being an excellent mentor figure to the youngsters on the team, Paul’s addition to the roster has helped in containing the turnover issue that the Warriors have faced over the past few seasons.

The post “Stephen Curry Being the Little Bro to Chris Paul”: Jamal Crawford Calls Out ‘Weirdness’ on Seeing CP3 in Warriors Jersey appeared first on The SportsRush.

A majority of analysts and basketball enthusiasts have been backing Victor Wembanyama to win Rookie of the Year. However, Jamal Crawford told Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles that he believed Chet Holmgren would take the trophy home. That said, the talent displayed by Wemby so far will get him sufficient votes to play in Indiana for the upcoming All-Star Game as a starter.

“I got Chet, I got Chet winning the Rookie of the Year. I got Wemby actually being an All-Star starter, I can see him get enough votes to be an All-Star starter. But I think Chet wins Rookie of the Year,” Crawford declared.

Getting an All-Star nod is extremely difficult. Yet, Jamal Crawford is positive that Wemby will make it to the prestigious exhibition game. If he were to get selected, the teenager would be the first rookie to play the All-Star Game since Blake Griffin in 2011.

However, despite Crawford’s optimism, getting selected as an All-Star starter might be a difficult task for the San Antonio Spurs rookie. With the format shifting back to the traditional West vs East format, it seems impossible for the 7ft 4” youngster to take the floor over the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Nikola Jokic.

Anthony Davis backs Victor Wembanyama to be named the 2024 Rookie of the Year

While Victor Wembanyama has been receiving a lot of criticism from detractors, a lot of the personalities from the basketball community have been praising the 19-year-old religiously. Among the many, Anthony Davis has expressed his confidence in the European sensation.

Earlier this month, the San Antonio Spurs hosted the Los Angeles Lakers for consecutive matchups. Playing with LeBron James, Anthony Davis led the Purple & Gold to a 122-119 victory. However, Wembanyama was sensational.

Going up against AD, the teenager stuffed the stat sheet. Apart from lodging a 30-point, 13-rebound double-double, the unicorn recorded 3 steals and 6 blocks. Such an impressive performance was deserving of high praise. AD didn’t mince his words as he showed love to the #1 pick of the 2023 Draft.

“The team is struggling, but, um, he’s playing extremely well, and he’s able to, um, keep them in games. They’re playing really good basketball… He[Wemby] showed why he’s the number one pick and leading candidate for Rookie of the Year tonight,” Davis claimed.

AD on what it was like playing against Wembanyama: “He showed why he’s the No. 1 pick and a candidate for Rookie of the Year tonight.” pic.twitter.com/pcM2rIGWt7

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 14, 2023

So far, Wembanyama is averaging 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Currently, he’s one of the top Western Conference frontcourts. While not a starter, it won’t be very surprising to see the rookie suit up for the All-Star Game.

The post “I Got Wemby Being an All-Star Starter”: Jamal Crawford Uses ‘Unique’ Logic for Rookie of the Year Selection appeared first on The SportsRush.

Devin Booker pulled up to watch Jamal Crawford at the Crawsover event in Seattle pic.twitter.com/yuAB6gH662

— CantGuardBook (@CGBBURNER) August 28, 2023

On the Knuckleheads podcast, Crawford revealed Booker surprised him by asking to work out with JJ. He said:

“I was in the gym with [JJ] and D Book [Devin Booker] was coming to Seattle. He was coming to Pro-Am to support. And D Book Facetimed me. And I missed it because I was in the gym. And I saw, I’m like, ‘Hold up, Book just Facetimed me.’  So JJ came in the camera, of course. He’s a fan. So I Facetimed him back and he’s like, ‘What you doing?’ I’m like, ‘I’m in the gym.’ He like, ‘I’m gonna be there later on today, I wanna get in the gym with little bro.”

Crawford claimed he wouldn’t let his son work out with a professional player and would want him to observe and learn. However, he made the exception for Booker. The retired star revealed JJ managed to keep up with Booker during the drills, surprising the Suns superstar. Crawford described it as one of his proudest days as a dad.

 

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The workout with Booker helped flip JJ’s mindset. Crawford claims that hearing the Suns superstar sing his praise has made his son work harder and chase his basketball dream with more conviction. The retired star expressed gratitude toward Booker on Instagram, resharing the clip from the Knuckleheads podcast which was captioned:

“There’s usually a “game changing “ moment on one’s journey. For Jamal Crawford, it was getting in the gym with one of the best in the world. Forever indebted, Devin Booker.”

The workout with Booker has certainly helped JJ, something that has been reflected in footage of him circulation on X [Formerly Twitter].

Jamal Crawford’s 7th grade son JJ has game! Highlights from MADE Hoops @JCrossover @madehoops pic.twitter.com/gJ9X0dRUNV

— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) December 14, 2023

The workout with Booker has certainly helped JJ. He recently dominated at MADE Hoops, a grassroots league for middle school kids, with father Jamal watching on.

Jamal Crawford and Devin Booker’s bromance

Devin Booker showing love to Jamal Crawford’s son shouldn’t come as a surprise. The three-time Sixth Man of the Year award winner played a mentorship role for the Suns superstar during the 2018-19 season. In an interview with the Athletic in 2019, the veteran guard gave an insight into his relationship with the young star, saying:

“We’ll play 1-on-1 for hours after practice. We talk basketball all the time. He’ll text me, “You see that?” He’s a hoops junkie, and I think that’s rare in this generation.”

Booker was in his fourth season with the team, and his number took a massive leap. He averaged 26.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.1 rebounds, but the Suns finished with a dismal 19-63 record. The star was accused of stat-padding on a bad team, but Crawford quickly came to his defense and dismissed the notion. He said:

“I don’t buy it. And I tell him not to. I tell him, “You know your heart is pure. You know you’re playing to win the game.” I don’t like the narrative of, “Oh, he’s doing this when they’re down 20.” Well, there’s a lot of games where we were down 20. You always tell people to play the final buzzer, and he’s doing that.”

Booker and Crawford shared a locker room for only one season, but it’s evident that the two have built a profound relationship. It makes sense that the Suns superstar would go out of his way to help his former teammate’s son and repay him for the faith he showed in him when he was a young player in the league.

The post “Forever Indebted Devin Booker”: Jamal Crawford Reveals His Son JJ Shockingly Kept Up With The Suns Guard During Their Drills Together appeared first on The SportsRush.

Jamal Crawford took to X (formerly “Twitter”) and revealed that he nearly shared the court with Kyrie Irving during his extremely short stint with the Brooklyn Nets. 

Almost happened https://t.co/VYcC3uewef

— Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) November 16, 2023

During the 2019-2020 season, Irving suffered a shoulder injury and ruled out the possibility of playing at the Orlando Bubble. The Brooklyn Nets, who had several players not attending the Bubble, decided to sign Jamal Crawford for a very short stint. 

Had Kai not been injured, we would have been lucky enough to witness the two of them take on the court together. However, Crawford merely played one game and recorded 5 points and 3 assists in 6 minutes. 

Whereas, Kyrie played merely 20 games during his first campaign with the Brooklyn Nets. In that span, the guard recorded 27.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists. Ultimately, the Nets finished the regular season with a 35-37 record, good enough to enter the postseason as the 7th seed. However, they were bounced out of the playoff in the first round itself, suffering a sweep against the Toronto Raptors.

Jamal Crawford and Kyrie Irving share mutual respect

Jamal Crawford and Kyrie Irving hold each other in high regard. When they were competitors, the two would often laud the other. Even after JC’s retirement, the two have displayed their love on numerous occasions.

Very recently, Kyrie spoke about the addition of Crawford to the Naismith Memorial Hall Of Fame. Irving stated how the three-time Sixth Man of the Year deserved the honor.

On the other hand, while every other analyst and enthusiast hates the Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving backcourt pairing, Jamal has often praised the duo. Crawford went on to state that the Dallas Mavericks’ pairing was “one of the most skilled duos in NBA history”. 

The post “Almost Happened”: Jamal Crawford Alludes To Him And Kyrie Irving Nearly Sharing An NBA Court Together appeared first on The SportsRush.

Following the recent Phoenix Suns-Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin Durant was asked to comment on Jamal Crawford. The Suns’ forward was also asked his opinions regarding the inclusion of Crawford in the prestigious Hall-Of-Fame. While answering so, the Slim Reaper began his statement by appreciating JC as a mentor.

“One of those guys that took me under his wings. When I was a rookie in Seattle, just always giving me words of encouragement. Always texting me after tough games and letting me know.”

Crawford played in the NBA for two decades, and his being a knowledgeable player went unrecognized. KD shed light on Crawford being a “true vet” and went on to speak about the impact that the latter has had on the game. Finally, the 2014 MVP revealed that he would wish to see JC be picked as one of the Hall-of-Fame inductees.

“Just a true vet, somebody that I think deserves to be in the Hall-of-Fame. With the impact on the sport of basketball that he’s shown over… He carved out a lane for himself as a sixth man and I think that deserves to be honored in the Hall-Of-Fame,” KD said.

With @JCrossover eligible for the 2024 Basketball HOF, I asked Kevin Durant on what he felt Crawford meant to the game and him ??

: @NitecastMedia #ComingInHot #NBA pic.twitter.com/UY6HbghATR

— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) October 27, 2023

As soon as Nick Hamilton uploaded the same clip on X (formerly Twitter), Crawford had an immediate reaction. Being humbled that “one of his favorites” showered him with love, Crawford wrote:

“Wow! From one of my favorites ever. Humbled”

Wow! From one of my favorites ever. Humbled https://t.co/Uh81rreq38

— Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) October 27, 2023

The love and respect between these two stars is as clear as daylight.

Kevin Durant picked Jamal Crawford on his Dream 5-on-5 pickup matchup

Jamal Crawford wasn’t lucky enough to win any major accolades. However, the combo guard did possess one of the smoothest handles. With the virtue of being shifty and a creative playmaker, Crawford was must-see TV. Kevin Durant even appreciated JC’s visually appealing style of play. He did so by naming JC as one of the players on his Dream 5-on-5 pickup game matchup.

Almost a year ago, during an appearance on NBA TV, the two-time NBA Champion listed 10 players for this hypothetical contest. After picking himself alongside Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Steph Curry, and Allen Iverson, Durant also gave Crawford a nod.

“I wanna see that AI-Steph matchup.” @KDTrey5 breaks down his all-time pickup game with @JCrossover pic.twitter.com/7IJiRmXzJB

— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 22, 2022

Jamal Crawford suited up for 1,327 regular season games. In these contests, the shifty star recorded 14.6 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game. While inculcating a streetball style of play in the NBA, Crawford also deserves credit for redefining the sixth-man position.

The post Having Taken Kevin Durant Under His Wing 16 Years Ago, Jamal Crawford Claims To Be Humbled By Suns Superstar’s 2024 Hall Of Fame Bid appeared first on The SportsRush.

Shaq recently welcomed Jamal Crawford as an analyst on TNT’s Inside The NBA. Crawford spent 19 legendary seasons in the NBA and earned the Sixth Man of the Year title three times. Crawford solidified his friendship with Shaq by giving him a priceless gift – an iPod.

Shaquille O’Neal offered to ‘buy out’ Jamal Crawford to stay exclusive in his gifting list

The iPod was released on October 23, 2001. It became the first MP3 player to hold 1,000 songs with a 10-hour battery life. Jamal Crawford gifted Shaq the iPod to strengthen their close bond.

Shaq and Crawford spoke to Nischelle Turner on TNT’s Big Podcast. They reminisced about owning an iPod in the past. Turner accused Shaq of taking Jamal’s iPod, but Crawford clarified that he had given it to Shaq. The trio then praised the iPod’s categorization features and their shared love for music.

Nischelle looked visibly awed by the iPod’s unique features. Jamal offered to buy her one. Shaq, being himself, hilariously wanted to be the sole recipient of Jamal’s gifts. When Jamal made the generous offer, Shaq selfishly proposed buying him out to prevent it.

“No,no, no, no. Don’t do that. I’m gonna pay you. I’m gonna pay him because I can pay him. I won’t be the only one. I’m selfish.” 

Shaq knows how to keep his friendships exclusive. He used his million-dollar net worth to be the only person on Jamal Crawford’s gifting list. Some might view it as selfish, but for Shaq, it was a wholesome expression of their bond and friendship.

A special Christmas gift motivated O’Neal to pursue a career in basketball

A special Christmas gift motivated Shaq to become the basketball legend he is today. Coming from a humble background, receiving gifts was a rare privilege for him. Basketball became an escape from his difficult life.

Despite the lack of gifts, Shaq remained a loyal son to his parents. Then, one Christmas morning, his father surprised him with a signed Dr. J Ball, a gift he cherishes. Shaq admired Julius Erving as one of his basketball idols, making this moment unforgettable for him.

The post “I’m Selfish!”: Having Received a ‘Dream’ Gift, Shaquille O’Neal Offered to ‘Pay’ $67 Million Worth Jamal Crawford to Stay ‘Exclusive’ appeared first on The SportsRush.

As his nickname suggests, Jamal Crawford was one of the craftiest players the NBA has ever seen. Known for his killer crossovers and lightning-fast handles, Crawford knows greatness when he sees it. So, for him to praise Kobe for his incredible dunk speaks volumes about the five-time NBA Champion’s vast skillset.

Jamal Crawford’s praise for Kobe Bryant prompts Isaiah Thomas to make Michael Jordan comparison

Jamal Crawford recently shared a video paying homage to Kobe Bryant. The video in question, saw the Black Mamba throw down a mean dunk right on top of Crawford’s head, immediately after crossing him up. It was an incredible move, that left fans in the Staples Center gawking in awe.

However, while it certainly was a highlight reel-worthy moment, the match in question sure wasn’t. Taking place on the 16th of February back in 2013, it was the Clippers fans who got the last laugh. Nevertheless, the three-time Sixth Man of the Year had to show his appreciation, as he recalled how both he and his team watched as Kobe went up for the slam.

“I’m guarding him, he’s not looking at the basket so I’m like yea I’m good. He does a little shoulder shake, I’m still there, the footwork came next, and that’s when I knew it was going bad quick! I’m starting to get lost lol, I reach, and I’m saying to myself when all bets are off, send him middle! THIS is when the help is supposed to come into play. Safe to say they were watching like I was!”

But, Mr And-One wasn’t the only one who recognized Kobe’s greatness. Former Celtics and Lakers guard Isaiah Thomas was also impressed. Even drawing a comparison between the late great and the GOAT, Michael Jordan.

“Hahaha. The footwork was impeccable. You did what you could Fam!!! Kob had everybody in awe at all times on some MJ s*it.”

 

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Kobe truly was an incredible player. One that left those around him shocked by his genius. A player truly worthy of being hailed as the second coming of His Airness.

Bryant was so obsessed with Michael Jordan that he even tried to speak like him

It’s a known fact, that Kobe Bryant modeled his game around Michael Jordan. If you ask anyone who watched both of them play, they would agree that watching Kobe was like watching a carbon copy of the GOAT himself. But, his obsession with MJ didn’t end there. In fact, he wanted to be like the six-time NBA Champion in any way possible.

And, according to some of his former teammates, he had a set routine. One which involved watching Jordan’s highlights, including his interview highlights. All so that he could even speak like him.

At the end of the day, whether he managed to emulate his idol or not, there can be no denying that Kobe Bean Bryant was a legend of the game, through and through.

The post “On Some Michael Jordan S**t”: Jamal Crawford’s Recollection of Kobe Bryant’s Brutal Dunk Elicits an Apt Response From Former Lakers Player appeared first on The SportsRush.