LeBron James erupts for 30 points on 13-for-14 shooting in a win over Houston.
The NBA Mailbag is open with NBA legend and NBC analyst Jamal Crawford here to answer your questions before Sunday Night Basketball matchups on NBC/Peacock. This week, the Timberwolves travel to Boston for a cross-conference clash against Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics. (8 ET, NBC/Peacock).
Have a question for Jamal? Submit it here.
I’m a big fan of LeBron James. Can you tell me what it was like playing against one of the GOATs in his prime? – from Hminga in Mizoram, India
Man, it was unbelievable. I remember one time, I think it was his third year, he stole the ball from me at The Garden and I thought it was a guard with how fast he was. I looked up and it was him. I don’t think he dribbled more than once or twice, and he seemed to dunk it from the free throw line. So it was incredible to witness his game, his smarts, and the greatness he was chasing from day one. Day 0, really. He was just different. But what was most impressive was his mind from the start. He thought like a Hall of Fame-level player, even as a rookie.
What makes Derrick White so unique? Trying to understand after Kenny Attkinson called him a Top 5 player in the league. – from Dominic in Cleveland, OH
Most players play their style and have a specialty. You know what they bring to the team, whether it be shooting or defending or whatever. Derrick White is almost like a transformer. He can adjust to any situation you put him in. That’s rare in basketball, and it’s what makes him special.
Who do you think will step up for the Wolves with Ant sidelined? – from Stacy in Duluth, MN
It will need to be a collective effort. Julius Randle is used to being a No. 1 option, so he knows how to pace himself and place himself in the right positions. But I also think Jaden McDaniels will put his ultra-scoring hat on. He can supplement some points and make up for the loss of Ant.
Are there any dark-horse teams you think might surprise in the playoffs? – from Brett on Facebook
I’m not sure they’re a dark horse since they’re the No. 2 seed, but the Spurs can go further than a lot of people think. People assume that because they’re young, they have a ceiling for how far they can go in this first run. But I think they can go all the way.
If you had to score on Wemby, what’s your go-to move? – from Lachlan in Hamilton, Ontario
If he switched onto me, I would back up first because I want to get as much space as possible. Then I’m going to do a couple of dribble moves to see which one he goes for. But the unique thing about him is, even if he kind of goes for it and you lose him, he can recover really fast. And even if he doesn’t block your shot, he’ll make you adjust it. So I would do some dribble moves, make him dance a little bit, and then pull from deep. Like really, really, really deep.
Early in your career, you suffered a devastating injury, yet you recovered and had a memorable NBA career. How does it feel watching guys like Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant recover from their injuries and still look almost as good as before? – from Arlette in The Netherlands
For me, I didn’t establish myself until my third or fourth year in the league, and that was after I had my ACL tear. So all the highlights you see, you wouldn’t think those were after an ACL injury, which is really cool. It’s similar to those guys. Tatum came back quickly and looks great in his first few games. Kevin Durant has made the Achilles injury look like an ankle sprain in the way he’s come back. So, yeah, really, really happy for them, and Dejounte Murray as well. Really happy for all the players dealing with injuries and coming back.
Is Jalen Johnson ready to be “that guy” for the Hawks? How far can he take them? – from Hudson in Vancouver, WA
He’s absolutely learning to be that guy. But I’m not sure how far he can take them yet. He has to become more comfortable being that guy, and that’s a process in itself, right? You start to learn what works for you, what you can be consistent with, and then you figure out how to bring your teammates along for the ride. He’s going through the process of being that guy before he becomes him.
What’s wrong with the Rockets right now? – from Jay in Texas
It’s the part of the season where Kevin Durant starts seeing more intense defenses. Not that he doesn’t see them all season, but now it’s winning time. Some teams are fighting for playoff positioning. Some teams are fighting just to be in the playoffs, period. So they have to get more movement and more help. When you get more movement, you bring others into the game. And when you bring others into the game, it makes KD’s job easier, and he can be even better because he’s not seeing the same defensive attention.
What’s your biggest takeaway from Bam’s 83-point game? – from Enrique in Fort Lauderdale, FL
That it’s possible. I didn’t even think it was possible to be honest with you after seeing Kobe score 81, because we know what Kobe brought to the game. We know how committed and focused he was every single day, not just on game days. So for Kobe to score 81, that was unimaginable. Like, oh my gosh. And now Bam hits 83, so we know it can be done. Everything just has to line up right.
Do NBA teams practice a lot during this part of the season, or do they get more rest due to the long season? – from Jeremy in New Mexico
This is the “get what you need” part of the season. So it’s not full practices, more walkthroughs. Then you focus on your individual needs. If you need extra shots, you get extra shots. Need weight room time? Go lift. If you need table time, which means massage therapy, leg flushes, whatever it might be, then you get that. During practices, it’s more about being present mentally than physically.
What was going through your mind during your 51-point game at age 39? – from Lilian in Westchester, NY
Just to get 25. I think at the time, Dirk, Kobe, Kareem, and I would have been the only ones to get three straight 25-point games at that point in their career. I had 25 going into the 4th quarter, so I was like, “Oh, I get to just hoop now. I have the number I want to be in the record books.” Then I got lost in the game. During pregame, I could not miss. Even during the morning shootaround, I couldn’t miss. And usually when I shoot like that, I don’t have a good shooting night. But I could not miss all day, and it carried through the night. And shout out to Dirk, who gave me a shout-out in his speech on the court after the game because it was his last home game.
Who are your Top 5 All-Time 3-Level Scorers? Excluding yourself, of course, although highly worthy of candidacy. – from Tre in Sherwood, AR
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Durant
Michael Jordan (I know the myth is he didn’t shoot threes, but it seemed like when he shot them, he made them)
Kyrie Irving
Carmelo Anthony / Tracy McGrady
When you got to the league, what on-court etiquette did you have to pick up on that set the NBA apart from the rest? – from SJ in New York, NY
That being on time means being early. If practice was at 10, I would walk in at 9.30 and be like, “ Okay, everybody’s already here. This feels weird.” You feel like the kid who came late to class. So I started getting there 90 minutes early and would try to be one of the first people in the building. You felt more comfortable and didn’t have to rush anything. You could get your table work or whatever, and then get to the court and actually see people arrive, versus being the one everybody sees come in.
Over the last two years, there’s been a greater emphasis on offensive rebounding at both the college and NBA levels. Can you talk a little bit about how new trends like this get communicated from coaches to players, and any new trends you remember emerging while you played? – from Bennett in Cincinnati, OH
The biggest trend that emerged during my career was probably the rise in 3-point shooting, and that’s tied to the rise in teams crashing the glass. It’s a point of emphasis because if you crash the glass and get that rebound, it leads to open 3s, which is the best shot.
I remember one time DeAndre Jordan grabbed an offensive rebound, threw it out to me wide open, and I didn’t shoot it. Doc Rivers went off on me. I was brought up in the era where you don’t shoot that shot when nobody’s touched it and there’s 22 seconds left on the clock. But he was like, “No, that’s the best 3 because everybody’s in the paint. You crash and throw it out. That’s the one we want.”
How did you mentally stay ‘hot’ while sitting on the bench for the first 8–10 minutes of a game? What were you looking for in the opposing defense during those minutes? – from Joe in Minnesota
I mentally put myself in the game before I was actually in the game. If I saw that player X was playing really high on the pick-and-rolls, then I knew I would have to pass if I got him in pick-and-roll coverage. So I would call somebody else up in pick-and-roll that was in drop coverage, which allowed me to get a nice, easy mid-range. Now I see the ball go in and I’m in a rhythm. I only need one basket to feel like I’m hot. So, for me, I was watching how different guys played different sets, different actions, and then I would make my adjustments before I actually went into the game.
And I stretched. I stayed younger by stretching while I was on the bench.
What was the toughest arena to play in? – from Kyrin in West Virginia
I would say two. Utah, because the fans felt like they were right on top of you. And The Garden, when I wasn’t playing for the Knicks. Like, yes, it’s my favorite arena. But it was so much pressure. You see all your favorite celebrities sitting right there. And so at times, if you didn’t lock in, that was tough. So The Garden was my favorite place to play and also the hardest in some ways because you’re seeing Jay-Z, Spike, Samuel Jackson, Denzel, all these people right there watching. That’s a different type of pressure.
Who’s your pick for Sixth Man of the Year this season? – from Mik on Facebook
My pick would have been Payton Pritchard, but he’s starting so many games now that he’s disqualified. I’m not sure who it’s going to be.
Who’s your Mount Rushmore of Seattle area hoopers? – from Andas in California
I’m going to carve some extra people into Mount Rainier:
Doug Christie
Jason Terry
Brandon Roy
Isaiah Thomas/Nate Robinson/Paolo Banchero/Dejounte Murray/Zach LaVine
What team was your favorite to be on, strictly from a food standpoint, and why was it Atlanta? – from Charlie in Atlanta, GA
Haha, I had all of the southern dishes, for sure. But I’ve been blessed to be in some great cities, and they all have different cultures and cuisines. For Atlanta, we know about the southern dishes. When I was in San Francisco, I had a lot of sushi and fresh food, fresh fish. L.A. and New York have some of everything. Chicago has deep-dish pizza. I’ve been everywhere and it’s been really cool.
How does it feel to be a coach of one of the best high school teams right now, especially with your son on it? – from Jack in Toronto, Canada
Oh, it’s an unreal feeling. I’ve coached my son since 6th grade, but to see him at the high school where I played is unreal. And then having the best high school player in the world, Tyran Stokes, and all the great players, Micah Ili-Meneese and Kam Babbs, and all these guys is really, really, really cool. I’ve absolutely been bitten by the coaching bug. I think the next step for me is being a head coach in high school, and I could absolutely see that in my future, for sure.
Tyran Stokes (left) and JJ Crawford during a game with Rainier Beach High School this season.
Would you say your basketball skills were developed more by playing freely as a child/teen with your friends, or in structured, coach-led environments? – from Oscar in Germany
The first one. Playing with my friends helped me with discovery. I can do all the drills in the world, but eventually you’re going to have to play against people and use those moves to see if they work. I cut the fat of doing all the training and went right to letting my mind be open. Let me see what works and what doesn’t. That helped me develop my style and flow for the game.
It’s crazy to see some of the things I was criticized for coming up are now things trainers teach. Like the skip players do when they’re coming down the floor, double behind-the-back moves into a pick-and-roll, hang-dribble combinations. Even the footwork into different pickup points for layups, all those different things. It’s funny how things develop.
What is most important for improving ball control and changes of pace? – from Pedro in Coyhaique, Chile
Being comfortable with pressure. If you do anything the same, it’s easy for the defense to pick up on it. So if you’re just running the same speed all the time, it’s easy for a good defender to pick that up. When I’m teaching my kids about pace, I like to do this drill. We’ll stand right next to each other and just walk in a straight line, but they have to keep up with me. So we’ll walk four steps, then I’ll stop on a dime, and they’ll still be going. Then I’ll go again when they stop. And I’m not in any rush, I’m just showing them how to dictate and change their pace, direction, and rhythm.
Have A Question For Jamal? Submit It Now!
20
20
20