Jamal Crawford’s 7th-grade son gets first D-I hoops offer
SEATTLE (BVM) – JJ Crawford, the son of former NBA player Jamal Crawford, has received his first Division-I college basketball scholarship offer as a 13-year-old seventh grader.
JJ, who won’t graduate high school until 2029, holds a full-ride hoops offer to the University of Montana. The basketball prodigy has been training for moments like this since he was just a 1-year-old.
“I didn’t push [JJ] towards it (basketball),” Jamal previously told 12 News in Arizona. “I remember when he was one or two years old – kids would go to the family room but he wanted to stay and watch the game.”
Jamal, who is widely known as one of the best ball handlers in NBA history, is now passing those skills down to JJ. They spend hours in the gym together, and Jamal previously noted that their shared goal is for JJ “to be better than [Jamal] was at that age.”
“When I grow up, I’m going to be better than him (dad),” JJ previously told 12 News in Arizona about his NBA aspirations.
JJ is shaping out to be a high-level shooter just like his dad. The middle school combo guard plays AAU for the Seattle Rotary Style squad and has tallied a career-high 52 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block.
“[JJ] Crawford possesses elite shot-making ability off the catch and is adept at making smart reads when attacking close-outs,” wrote MADE Hoops contributor and basketball scout Trent Watson. “Has a smooth feel for the game and plays with a calm demeanor. Makes high IQ decisions when deemed the primary ball handler and always makes the right basketball play.”
JJ’s highlights reveal that he’s drawing some similarities to Jamal’s playing style.
@breakanklesdaily JJ Crawford, Class of 2029, is a bucket ‼️👀 @MADE Hoops #basketball #jamalcrawford #jjcrawford
Keep growing, keep going kid! 🙏🏾 https://t.co/i1PmGoWZB8
— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) November 30, 2023
“Actually, he (JJ) is better than me,” Jamal previously told MADE Hoops.
More college basketball offers for JJ could start to roll in soon. Here are the rules for recruiting that are specific to young basketball players, according to NCSA College Recruiting:
“If the coach is truly interested in that recruit, they can extend a verbal scholarship offer. A verbal offer is a non-legally binding scholarship offer, and college coaches can extend verbal offers to a recruit of any age. It’s essentially a way for the coach to say, ‘I’m reserving a spot on my team for you.’ However, because verbal offers aren’t legally binding, coaches—and athletes—can back out of them at any point.”
The future looks especially bright considering that JJ is already 5-foot-9 at 13 years old. If the phrase “like father, like son” pertains – JJ will grow up to be 6-foot-5 just like Jamal.
“I watched as Jamal was taken as the No. 8 pick in the 2000 NBA Draft and can’t wait to watch JJ get chosen No. 1 overall in the 2031 NBA Draft,” wrote one user on a social media post.
