CLIPPERS GUARD JAMAL CRAWFORD
Q: Jamal, how have you been able to perfect the role of sixth man and continue to play at such a high level for such a long time?
“In terms of the first part of the question, I never envisioned myself being a sixth man. I had started my whole life. I actually got to Coach [Mike] Woodson in Atlanta, and he was like, ‘We have our core group in place, but your role is just as important, if not more important. So go leadthe league in scoring off the bench, we need that.’ At that point, I didn’t want to be known as agood player on bad teams. I didn’t want to be a guy who scored 20 points on a losing team. Iwanted to win. So at that point, I said I’ll change the course of my career and where it is going andI’ll be the sixth man. Then I saw the importance of it. You look over the years with [Manu] Ginobiliin San Antonio, or [James] Harden in OKC, or Jason Terry with the Dallas Mavericks, or KevinMcHale. All those great players, they believed in something bigger than themselves and justwanted to win, so that was important to me. Then for the second part of the question, just beingin love with the game. Like I said, I’ve never cheated the game. I’ve played every single day of mylife. I dreamed about being in this position, I used to listen to music and wonder if pros listened tothat music, whatever it was to be in this position, so I just don’t take it for granted.”
Q: How important is legacy to you? I know that’s a word I’ve heard you use a few times. Doeswinning this award a third time mean more because of the legacy impacts of it?
“Yeah, I think so. For me, I’ve never made an All-Star Game, but I’ve always had my peers andcoaches respect around the league. So for me at the end of the day, ten years from now, fifteenyears from now, I’ll just wonder, ‘Will the new fan remember me? Will they remember what I didin the game?’ Hopefully it is in a positive nature and hopefully this is one of those things for thekids that are coming up that are nine or 10 years old to say, ‘Hey, I don’t have to start. I can stillhave an impact on the bench.’ Obviously, starting is the cool thing, and everybody wants to do it.Hopefully, this can inspire a new generation of players.”
Q: Can you just explain to us how you are still able to look like a 25 year-old out there at thispoint in your career?
“Well, my wife makes me drink water all the time, which is hard to do. I used to drink Capri Sunsand stuff like that. It’s more about not cheating the game and being in love with the game. Theway I look at it is, if I took a lot of time off, if I took off three months or two months to try torecover, it’s almost like if you leave your house for nine months, and then you come back and tryto turn on the lights and they start popping, or the car may not start. So I figure if I keep mymuscles firing, and I just keep it going and I stay with young players, I don’t feel like age is anexcuse. I think a lot of people age themselves like, ‘Oh, I’m 35 or 38’ or whatever and they get thatin their mind and that’s where it starts. So for me, I just keep things going, keep things as young aspossible and I feel great.”
Q: You got off to a slow start this year. I believe Doc [Rivers] talked to you and told you to beaggressive at one point. How big was that? Was that a turning point in really turning it on in thelast four months or so of the season?
“It was huge for me. I honestly have so much respect for him. Before I came here, Boston was oneof the teams that had some interest in me and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can play for Doc Rivers,he’s a champion and a winner and all that.’ Obviously I’m grown, but I have some kid-like wayssometimes. My teammates are great at [encouraging me] like, ‘Come on man, you have to turn itup, you can do it.’ I need those words of encouragement. So when Doc said, ‘I need you to bemore aggressive’ that’s what I needed to hear. He’s the best at that, he knows the pulse of theteam – not just for me but for all of our guys. He knows exactly what buttons to push or when weneed a pat on the back or when we really need to turn it up. He kind of felt that and it paid off forus.”
Q: You don’t like talking about your age much during the season, but to be the oldest guy towin this award, to win it again for a third time, does it add anything extra?
“Yeah it does, from the standpoint that I was the oldest to win it last time. So to me, I thinkconsistency is one of the keys to longevity. I think if you are consistent over the course of yourcareer, I always try to pride myself on that. I think it’s one of the keys to having longevity andhaving a long career. I just try to stay with that formula and try to stay as consistent as possibleand try to do what is asked of me and try to do it better and I think with that long-term it will pay off.”