Our friends at AthletiQA.com spent some time with Jamal Crawford of the L.A. Clippers this week, asking him a dozen questions about his career and the upcoming season.
Check it out the video below or read the transcript underneath the video player!
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Q: What’s your favorite thing about having Doc as your head coach?
Jamal: The way he could always motivate all of us. His beliefs on how he gets everybody to buy into team. I think that’s really really cool. He was a player, so he understands days when we need off days, when we need pushing—all those things. You need a champion.
Q: What makes this season different as far as how far the team can go in the playoffs?
Jamal: Health! I think having everybody healthy is a great start. Obviously a lot of it comes from that. But with the crew we have, the right guys, the right time, the right coaching staff, the right ownership—I feel like its all on us.
Q: What was it like having KG at practice last month?
Jamal: It was unbelievable. I was dribbling the ball and couldn’t stop looking at him. Couldn’t stop watching him. His passion. He’s one of my 10 favorite players to ever play. But just being around him… there’s a certain aura about him.
Q: What is a typical off day for an NBA Player?
Jamal: In the gym anyway. Taking my kids to school and picking them up. Spending time with my family.
Q: Which team are you most looking forward to facing this season, and why?
Jamal: Portland, just because it’s the first game. It’s the last place we played. It’s the first game. The season can’t come fast enough.
Q: If you had to pick one of the 3 recently retired players, who will you miss playing against most? KG, Kobe, or Duncan?
Jamal: Well, for me, it would be Kobe just because we are the same position. But, all of them, equally, as far as just the respect thing.
Q: What, if any specific advice would you give the high-school and college kids trying to make it to the NBA?
Jamal: Follow your dreams. I mean, you have to work hard. It’s good to have goals but you have to actually work at those goals. There will be a lot of people who say you can’t do it because a lot of people haven’t done it, but that shouldn’t stop you, it should motivate you.
Q: What’s your favorite Kobe Bryant story?
Jamal: Directly? I remember playing against him one time and at the time, he was the youngest player ever to reach 20,000 points and I had 30 points in the second half alone in the Garden. And that was fun. We came back and almost won. We were down by 20 and came back and lost by 2 or 3. So that was a fun game.
Q: Who is your NBA idol and why?
Jamal: Michael Jordan because he is the best player ever. He would always seem like the most perfect person. On and off the court.
Q: How do you deal with disappointment and failure?
Jamal: I use it as motivation. I use it as life experience. I think experience is the best teacher. So I think going through those things kind of not only build character, but reveal character as well.
Q: Excluding your own team, who is your early pick for MVP?
Jamal: Excluding our own team… I can see LeBron James.
Q: Do you ever get bored with your daily routine in the NBA? And if so, what do you make sure that it doesn’t bore you?
Jamal: Not that I ever really get bored, it’s just different moments. The season is a long season so it’s different pockets where you have a mentally focus a little bit more or mentally get away from the game just a little bit so it’s fresh again. It’s such a long season so I never get bored of it though.
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