CrawsOver, a pro-am basketball league in Seattle run by former NBA guard Jamal Crawford, has reached new heights with stars like LeBron James and Jayson Tatum playing this year.
Rebranded the Seattle Pro-Am, the event’s popularity has been resurgent recently and gained more people’s attention last year when Isaiah Thomas dropped 81 points in a game. This season, which opened on July 9, was advertised as the biggest yet.
Crawford appeared on NBA TV to talk about the event. He said the tournament is special because it’s the only way kids living in Seattle can see their favorite players play.
The event is free for all attendees.
“A lot of kids in this area especially have only seen their favorite players on TV or in video games,” Crawford said on NBA Today. “To see their favorite players right there in person, reach out and touch them — and they might have an interaction with you — and if you’re a kid who’s working to get better and dreaming of being at that level, it makes your dreams more realistic.”
He said he asks the kids who they want to see, and Crawford tries to get those stars to the event.
Even though the games are free, good luck getting in when it involves a star like James. Videos of long lines and tents from Friday night were tweeted as people waited to enter the arena.
James and Tatum aren’t the only well-known NBA players competing. Dejounte Murray, rookies Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Thomas are among others.
Complete listings found at CrawsOver websiteare dotted with other NBA players among amateur athletes.
This all comes back to one of the big questions that is always debated: Should Seattle have its own team? With excitement like this for the league and the players, the passion is certainly there.
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