After Disappointing Setback With LeBron James in 2022, Jamal Crawford Announces Yet Another Obstacle on 7YO Venture

Jamal Crawford has been making the summers of numerous amateur athletes year after year through the CrawsOver Pro-Am League. But it wasn’t without a few hurdles. Unfortunately, one struck recently, forcing Crawford to call it off this year. Fans and amateur ballers have not been this disappointed since the season LeBron James was participating in was stalled. But he promises this is not the end. The CrawsOver Pro-Am will be back and amateurs have a little more time to prepare.

In a single ‘MESSAGE’  on his official Instagram post, the new tenured TNT analyst wrote, “There will NOT be a Crawsover Pro-Am this summer. We will recharge, continue to strategize, and hit the reset button. When we’re back, we will continue to be one of the best places in the country for summer hoops. See y’all next summer.” 

He hasn’t explicitly stated the reason for the cancellation. It could be that he’s heavily involved in the summer coverage at TNT. Following the news, however, several people expressed their dejection in the comments. The CrawsOver Pro-Am has been Crawford’s answer to his native Seattle’s craving for pro basketball since the Supersonics left in 2008 and he understands their fascination for it. He’s however promised it would return next year, giving amateurs another year’s worth of prep to take on NBA pros.

NBA legend, Doug Christie founded the Seattle Pro-Am in 1996. Crawford took charge of the Seattle Pro-Am in 2004 and rebranded it into the CrawsOver Pro-Am in 2017. Usually held at the Seattle Pacific University, Crawford drew his NBA peers like Kobe Bryant to this gauntlet against the best amateurs while spectators watched either for free or for a reported minimal admission fee of $10. Those who can’t watch in the arena can watch the live stream on NBA TV and the app.

Since attaching his name to it, he’s made thrilling spectacles like fueling the beef between Dejounte Murray and Paolo Banchero. He also got Jaden McDaniels who ruthlessly scorched the amateurs with 52 points. The biggest highlight was when he brought in LeBron James and Jayson Tatum in 2022 but it had its own hurdles.

Jamal Crawford always comes back

The CrawsOver Pro-Am skipped 2020 due to the pandemic but in 2021 Crawford marketed a big return, featuring Isaiah Thomas, Jordan Poole, and Paolo Banchero, among numerous others. Following the success, the next year saw CrawsOver Pro-Am bigger than ever. Sure enough, the lineup of pros was announced with fanfare, featuring LeBron, Tatum, Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Tari Eason and Isaiah Thomas. It was bigger with Bron who missed the playoff berth in 2022.

However, Seattle weather got in the weather. The game was cancelled during the second quarter because condensation on the floor made it impossible to play safely. Seattle no longer has an NBA team or hosts NBA games. So it was a bigger disappointment for fans who camped out overnight to get a glimpse of the pros.

But it’s also testimony of Crawford bringing this event successfully even through setback. After 2020, he organized the league with safety measures by condensing a two-month logistical process into two weeks. Rest assured, he’ll be back soon.