On ‘The Big Podcast with Shaq’, Jamal Crawford recalled a story of Gary Payton challenging him to a 1v1 during a mall visit. Payton was with his entourage while Crawford was with Payton’s nephew. The 3x SOTY recounted how the Glove challenged him in public and placed a prize of $1 million if the up-and-coming hooper could beat him. The former Seattle Supersonic superstar was fresh off a Finals run and knew that Crawford’s name in Seattle was ringing loud.
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The young hooper was becoming the talk of the town through his smooth game. Therefore, he challenged him to a one-on-one and ensured everyone around him knew about the challenge. While narrating the story on Shaquille O Neal‘s pod, he also took a dig at Shaq’s “pending”$1 million.
“‘You come see me cuz I’ve been hearing about all these moves and all these tricks, this what we gonna do’ The bigger the crowd, GP gets louder and louder and Shaq knows this. ‘We goin’ to play one-on-one if you beat me, I give you a million dollar,’ The real million dollar, not the Shaq million [dollar],” narrated J Crossover.
However, a loss would have weighed heavily upon Crawford. Payton announced that if the smooth operator lost the one-on-one, he’d have to “walk around naked” in his neighborhood. Much to everyone’s disappointment the 1v1 never took place. However, the experience acted as “motivation” for the aspiring hooper. It was also the start of what became a long-lasting bond between Payton and Crawford.
Gary Payton took Jamal Crawford under his wing
In 2020, Gary Payton gave an interview to Hoopshype that revealed the close relationship between him and Jamal Crawford. Writing for Basketball Network, John Jefferson Tan covered his comments during the interview. Payton recalled how the dribbling wizard shared a living space with him after college. During this, the red-hot scorer learned many lessons from 9x NBA All-Star.
“I basically helped raise Jamal. Jamal lived with me for a little bit when he came out of Michigan for one year of college,” Payton told Hoopshype.
Payton reflected upon the young Crawford’s ability to “ask questions” and “pick the brains” of veterans around him. Considering Crawford was a sensation during his days at Rainier Beach High School days in Seattle, Payton loved how he gave back to the city of Seattle that nurtured his talent.
“It’s a great feeling to see a kid like him give back to Seattle and do those things. I always knew he was going to be one of a kind because he would always listen, and he was so humble,” GP added.
Therefore, the casual meeting in a mall triggered the start of a decisive turn in Crawford’s career. The young Seattle kid learned from someone who gave several unforgettable memories to the city.
