In the final game of the Phoenix Suns season, Jamal Crawford showed that he still has it and wants to prolong his playing career in the NBA.
The Phoenix Suns played the Dallas Mavericks in their final game of the season. The game was on the road and all eyes were on Dirk Nowitzki as he was playing at home for the last time. He scored 30 points and walked off the American Airlines Center court as the legend he is.
However, Jamal Crawford stole the show as he absolutely went off and showed he does not want his career to be over. He made 7 triples and scored 51 points off the bench, taking some of the spotlight away which Dirk joked about after the game.
"“Jamal stole my show…I’m a little bit mad at that.”"
Who wouldn’t be? Nowitzki and Crawford were both laughing after the statement so it’s all good and fun, though. Jamal sent a serious message to the league though which simply stated he can still play in this league.
For those saying it was a blowout, what was a 30 point deficit for the Suns at halftime became a 4 point game with 3 minutes to go. Not only did he go off but he almost led the team to a comeback win.
Crawford became the oldest player in NBA history to score 50 points in a game (39 years, 20 days) surpassing Michael Jordan (38 years, 315 days) according to ESPN Stats & Info as well as becoming the first player ever with 50-point games for 4 different franchises. He also hit the half century mark with the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls.
That’s an epic way to end his 19th NBA season. He’s not ready to hang up his shoes quite yet, according to Alex Kennedy on Twitter.
"When asked if he’ll play next year, the 39-year-old told me, “Hell yes! Maybe even longer!”"
No one can blame him as he clearly showed he has plenty left in the tank. It wasn’t just that night either as the two games prior he dropped at least 27 points as well.
Crawford wants to play at least one more season in this league and the Suns would be smart to re-sign him this summer. That is, if they can beat out competitors, as surely playoff teams have been watching and know that he’d be a good player to have down the stretch.