Kevin Durant and Jamal Crawford both share a special connection with the city of Seattle. Fans might forget but when KD was drafted in 2007, it was by the Seattle Supersonics. 1 year later, the franchise would relocate to Oklahoma. Thankfully, Seattle-native Jamal Crawford helped basketball culture thrive in the city.

The 3x Sixth Man of the Year first took over the Seattle Pro-Am in 2004, in his 4th season in the NBA. Over a decade later, in 2017, the league would be rebranded as ‘The Crawsover’. However, as J Crossover himself shared, the Pro-Am league wouldn’t have reached its popularity without the help of NBA stars like Kevin Durant.

Jamal Crawford recently joined Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles on the ‘Knuckleheads’ podcast. As one of the hosts praised Crawford for the success of his own league, the other host dubbed Crawford as the unofficial ‘Mayor’ of Seattle. While discussing ‘The Crawsover’s journey, Crawford recalled one of Durant’s acts that he thinks contributed to the league’s success. 

He said, “Let me tell a backstory. We get KD outside safely…He stops his car and signs autographs in the middle of the street for thirty minutes, where all fans can touch him, take picture and we were just sitting there. And it was crazy to see that it just grew from there.”

What endears the Phoenix Suns star to his fans is his down-to-earth demeanor. In 2014, when KD won his first and only regular season MVP, his heartwarming shoutout to his mother left his fans and competitors in tears. 

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It is always these brief moments that leave a lasting impression on people. In this case, Durant has left a lasting impression on the city of Seattle and their favorite Pro-Am League.

Jamal Crawford’s success with the Crawsover Pro-Am

Certainly, it’s worth noting that the Crawsover Pro-Am, initiated by an ex-NBA guard gained substantial attention, largely propelled by Crawford’s efforts and the participation of notable figures from the league. Kevin Durant was part of Jamal Crawford’s Pro-Am League in Seattle in 2013.

Durant, despite being safely escorted out of the stadium, voluntarily stopped his car to interact with enthusiastic fans. Following a remarkable performance in the Crawsover Pro-Am League, he still had enough energy to engage with fans. Of course, the Slim Reaper didn’t disappoint his fans during the game as well, where he scored 63 points on 62 shots in nearly 51 minutes. Even now, Crawford can’t help but be impressed by Durant’s perfectionist skills.

The league, originally named the Seattle Pro-Am upon its establishment in 1996 by former NBA player Doug Christie, underwent a rebranding led by him. Now known as the Crawsover Pro-Am, games take place at the Royal Brougham Pavilion at Seattle Pacific University. 

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With the latest attendance of LeBron James, Chet Holmgren, and more, the Crawsover league is showing that it is indeed worth the hype.