Jordan Crawford must be feeling blessed that he’s back in the NBA after spending a couple of years out of it. Crawford was drafted by the New Jersey Nets 27th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft but after just four seasons in the league, he found himself playing abroad and in the D-League, wondering whether he’ll ever get a chance to play in the NBA.
Crawford was acquired via a trade by the first four teams he played for in the pros. After the Nets drafted him, Crawford’s rights were traded to the Atlanta Hawks, who then traded him to the Washington Wizards after just one season. Crawford suited up for the Wizards for two seasons before Washington dealt him to the Boston Celtics, where he played for one year. Another trade saw him donning different threads again, this time with the Golden State Warriors in the 2013-14 campaign. The Warriors didn’t exercise their option on Crawford in the offseason, making the ex-Xavier Musketeer a free agent. Crawford would later be signed by the Chicago Bulls for a one-year contract but waived him just before the 2015-16 season.
At just 25, Crawford found himself bouncing playing in China and in the D-League. It was during this time that he realized what he did wrong that made him sort of an unwanted piece by NBA teams.
Via Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype:
“Over those two years when I was out of the NBA, I took a look in the mirror and held myself accountable for the things that were my fault,” Crawford told HoopsHype. “There were some things that were out of my control, but I knew I needed to fix the things that were my fault. When I first entered the league, I didn’t carry myself the right way.
“Looking back, I see how impatient I was during my first go-around in the NBA. I wanted to be the best, but I was so impatient. The way I expressed myself and lacked patience affected my teams. Even if you think you’re better than someone, you don’t need to go try to display it and show it off because that doesn’t help you or the team. Now, I understand that you have to stay patient, wait for your time to come and just control what you can control. Once I grasped that, it allowed me to play better.”
Now 28 and seemingly mature, Crawford is now part of the New Orleans Pelicans, who gave him a 10-day deal last March before signing him to a two-year deal worth $1.88 million after Crawford impressed them with averages of 14.1 points across 19 games.
In five total years played in the NBA so far, Crawford has averages of 12.3 points per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the field. He’s not expected to start many games but has said in the same interview that he’s willing to be the team’s first man off the bench.
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