Jamal Crawford Details How His Mentality Changed In Sixth-Man Role

Jamal Crawford didn’t just win Sixth Man of the Year once when he played in the NBA.

He was given the highly-coveted award three times in 2010, 2014, and 2016.

With so many accolades to his name, you’d think being in a team’s second unit would have come naturally for Crawford.

But speaking to Kevin Garnett on Showtime, he admits that it required some adjusting.

However, once he changed his mindset, he was good to go.

“My coach had freed me. Doc said, ‘Yo, got get him,’” Crawford said.

He then added how self-confidence and belief in himself allowed him to lead the second unit.

“I can do anything. With that confidence and with that mindset and with that freedom and the actual game to back it up? I’m on one,” Crawford said.

What’s the point of being on the first unit when you can lead the second unit?@JCrossover wants us to think differently about the sixth man role.

Watch all episodes of #KGCertified on our YouTube. pic.twitter.com/3Qy4sPOgjh

— SHOWTIME Basketball (@shobasketball) August 16, 2023

For his first several seasons in the league, Crawford started in plenty of games for the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

When he arrived with the Atlanta Hawks, that changed and it’s when he truly took on his role as Sixth Man.

Crawford didn’t see the move as a demotion and that’s what helped him most.

Instead, he felt that his team’s bench players revolved around him and he was able to make plays and be a central part of the offense.

Speaking with Garnett, he made it clear that he took great pride in being a bench player and making his team proud.

That was very evident during his career when he would post double-digits nightly coming off of the bench.

Today, he’s considered one of the best Sixth Men to ever play.

That’s because he understood his assignment, took it seriously, and truly believed in himself.

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