“I Had a Commercial with Michael Jordan”: Brooklyn Nets New Signing Reflects on His Dream Journey to NBA

Very few players make it into the NBA. Even fewer end up playing 19 seasons in the league. Veteran Jamal Crawford is proving his critics wrong, even at 40 now. He just signed with the Brooklyn Nets and will be heading to Orlando for the NBA return. Along with Players Tribune, Crawford has now released a video titled “Jamal Crawford Isn’t Done,” which talks about his journey in the league.

“My first real job wasn’t an NBA player,” said Crawford in the video. “It was actually working in the arena. I was the guy who would actually bring food up from the basement to the concession stands. And it’s normally a 10 min trip but I would make it a 45-minute trip because I would stand in the aisle ways and watch the Sonics play.”

“I was able to look at that court and dream. I was able to look out there and fantasize and dream about that. And with us not having the Sonics now, I thought it was our duty to kind of give back and be the Sonics for the generation coming up.” (Talking about his ‘Crawsover’ Pro-Am basketball league).

Will Crawford be able to fill the gap in the Brooklyn Nets?

Heading into Orlando, the Brooklyn Nets were facing a starting lineup crisis. After Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving backed out, they then lost Spencer Dinwiddie and DeAndre Jordan too. So, to fill the gap of a scorer, they signed veteran Jamal Crawford. He may be 40, but he has no plans on retiring anytime soon. But he realizes he has reached the end of his career and is thankful for it.

“Even in my early days, I didn’t take it for granted. I would be in awe like, man, I just talked to Scottie Pippen. I just met Rasheed Wallace. Even then I was thankful, but now even more so because the end is closer to the beginning. So you’re really able to reflect. When I retire, whenever that is, When I’m just home sitting around I’ll be like I had a commercial with Jay Z, I had a commercial with Michael Jordan.”

Possibly into his last tenure with a team, Crawford will be hoping to go out with a bang. With Caris LeVert the only starter left on the team, Crawford would be hoping to get a lot of chances and prove he is still a walking bucket.