0 Jay crossover Posted by FSG PRODUCTIONZ on January 13, 2023 at 12:46am Aaron Jamal Crawford was born in Seattle, Washington, on March 20, 1980. As far back as the age of three, Jamal had a basketball in his hands. He recalls playing on a hoop in his backyard, never letting go of that basketball. "He's carried that basketball since the age of three. By the age of five years old, we were all pretty much made understood that he would bring his ball wherever he goes," Jamal's sister, Lori, will never forget how he displayed such a passion for the sport he would grow to play professionally. During his childhood, Jamal played baseball, basketball, and football. He honed his natural skills for basketball by participating on community teams since the age of seven. In the eighth grade, when Jamal moved to live with his father in California, he would have to put a brief stop to his basketball playing. After struggling in school and not being able to participate in the sport he grew to love, Jamal knew he had to make a change. With his basketball in one hand and his traveling bag in the other, Jamal set out back to Seattle to put his foot down. He would improve in school so that he could play for his high school team, and he did just that. Jamal played for Rainier Beach High School for only two years but made a tremendous impact on the school and team. He led the Rainier Beach Vikings to the 1998 WIAA State Championship title and the school showed their appreciation to him by retiring his high school jersey number (23) in 2001. Jamal would go on to be an outstanding contributor for the University of Michigan, where he averaged 16.6 points per game and 4.5 assists per game. He entered the N.B.A. draft in 2000, and was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers and then immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls. Jamal has left an amazing impact on every city he has played in, including his home of Seattle and the state of Washington. He created the Jamal Crawford Foundation to give back to and positively influence children and the community. Through his Foundation, he has: funded a new basketball court for Rainier Beach High School, provided ongoing support for athletic trainers at Seattle Public High Schools, funded a new court for Liberty Park, donated a library to a school in the Bronx, assisted in the funding of a youth basketball league for the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta, and much more. Jamal truly enjoys giving back to his community as he arranged his 3rd Annual Back-To-School Giveaway and joined other professional athletes and politicians in hosting a "Thanks-Give-N-Go Turkey Give-Away" to donate Thanksgiving dinners to families in Seattle in 2011. Jamal credits his family, friends, and life experiences with his humble and giving nature, also his tenacity and perseverance. "Family is very important," says Jamal. "My grandmother in LA taught me everything. She taught me simple things like how to set a table: fork, knife and then spoon and how to get into the Church and believe in God. Then my grandmother in Seattle taught me about karma and giving my all in everything I do and never giving up. Don't be satisfied." With commendable awards such as the Thurmon Munson Award and the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award, friends and mentors like Jay-Z and Isiah Thomas, and two wonderful children and a supportive family, Jamal does not take anything for granted. He is thankful for his opportunities and wants youth to have the same great basketball experiences he had growing up, "When I was younger, I had the chance to watch Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, and even Nate McMillan. It helped kind of mold my dream that, dang, it's this close to me. I can go to a game. Maybe I can make this dream a reality. But if I didn't have those guys to watch, I'm not sure I would have worked as hard." Views: 16 Tags: jamal crawford E-mail me when people leave their comments – Follow
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