5 things to know about Timberwolves guard Jamal Crawford

Three-time Sixth Man of the Year and new Timberwolves guard Jamal Crawford has a lot to offer both on and off the court this upcoming season.

Joining up with Tom Thibodeau and a whole lot of former Chicago Bulls, Jamal Crawford has the ability to bring some much-needed depth to the Minnesota bench.

But he is not just a 3-point shooter, or someone known just for his skills coming from the bench; there is much more to Crawford than simply basketball. This could be acting as Santa Claus, or even putting on a barbecue, there is something for everyone when it comes to the man out of Michigan.

Let’s take a dive into some fun facts surrounding one of the newest Wolves. You might be surprised…

5. Organizing community events

Known for his community work, Jamal Crawford loves a bit of food when he gets time away from the court.

Whilst at the Atlanta Hawks, Crawford and his teammates – including another new Timberwolves signing, Jeff Teague – helped out with the Thanksgiving Event at Gateway Center.

Crawford thoroughly enjoys the holiday season, and said of Thanksgiving:

"Just being around family, eating a lot of food, going to everybody’s house seeing how much you could eat. You had to make your rounds. You go to your friend’s house and their family’s house."

Not only that, but Crawford has been hosting a community barbecue every year since 2003.

Now in its 14th year, the barbecue allows those around him to socialize and enjoy the good music and food. With free food, games and activities for all ages, the Fourth of July celebrations are always held in high regard in the Crawford household.

Whether a bouncy castle is your entertainment for the day, or simply getting an autograph from the three-time Sixth Man winner, there is always plenty to do with Jamal.

4. Overcame a gambling problem

Jamal Crawford became good friends with all-time great Michael Jordan at the start of his career, but got more than he bargained for.

Jordan has always been a bit of a player when it comes to cards or dabbling in bets, though usually he stuck to playing 36-hole golf before a gold medal match in 1992. One day whilst playing craps, Crawford bit off more than he could chew when it came to gambling.

"[Crawford] brought about $2,000 in cash that night…Crawford was up and down for a while, once holding about $10,000 in cash, more than he had ever won before. Then he went down. Way down. Into a hole there was no coming back from. He began making bets with money he didn’t have on hand with a group of professional gamblers used to getting paid on the spot."

Crawford weighed in on the matter himself, saying:

"They would be like, ‘OK, you bet two grand on this one, OK lost.’ Then they’d say, ‘Now we will bet three on this one [roll]. Oops, lost. Now you down 15 [grand].” So it wasn’t like cash was coming out, it was like air money. But it was money I was going to have to pay somehow eventually."

According to the article, he managed to pay off around $100,000 in debt due to selling his Mercedes-Benz about 16 years ago, but now he’s done with gambling.

3. Crawford is fifth all-time in made 3-pointers

A dab-hand beyond the arc, Jamal Crawford’s ability to net a three has seen him climb the all-time rankings to fifth.

In a strange twist, Crawford is actually tied for fifth with two active players in Kyle Korver and Vince Carter; only four players stand in the guard’s way of becoming number one.

All three of the aforementioned players have amassed a total of 2,049, and all three will be hoping to surpass the recently-retired Paul Pierce this upcoming season, who managed to get 2143 in his illustrious career.

Ray Allen holds the record with 2,973, though the most likely to beat out the man at the top is currently in 10th, with a lot of years ahead of him in Stephen Curry.

Crawford has been making his way steadily up the chart, securing the sixth spot over Jason Kidd back in January of this year.

Both Korver and Crawford were projected by Casting Data to have fifth-spot secured by the 82nd game of the 2016-17 season and they were not wrong, considering they are in a tie at the moment.

The Cleveland Cavaliers man will likely be hoisting more shots from downtown than Crawford this year, but one of the best-ever bench players will have his focus on grabbing fourth from Kyle.

2. He didn’t enjoy school

Jamal Crawford didn’t like school as much as the next kid, but skipping until 11th grade? Now that is…different.

Deciding upon not attending school meant he ran into the wrong crowd, and although he was never part of a local gang in America, he certainly engaged with them.

Regardless of whether it was via gambling or other means, Crawford needed to knuckle down and concentrate on his academic studies and he understood that during his NBA career, according to the above-linked article from The Undefeated.

"The difference is the worst thing I probably ever did was shoot dice and skip school. I missed a lot of school."

Whilst ditching school, Crawford met up accidentally with Paul Pierce at a nearby barbershop.

Apparently, Crawford had a bit of an edgy side to him, and talking out-of-place to Paul, Pierce told him:

"You need to get back in school, what you doing ditching school and hanging out here at the barbershop?"

He did finish school and attend Michigan prior to being selected eighth overall in the 2000 draft.

1. Jamal-O-Claus

A man for the people, Jamal Crawford has been celebrating the festive period with fans and local residents for the past few years.

Given the rather conventional yet fun-loving name of “Jamal-O-Claus”, the guard has bringing joy to those in less fortunate positions.

The official name for the drive is known as “Jamal-O-Claus Holiday Toy Giveaway,” and that is actually what happens when the stockings start to go up and the various trees are greatly decorated.

The Los Angeles Clippers showcased Jamal’s generosity last Christmas when visiting kids in the Compton/Watts area, but has been doing so for some time before that.

In 2014 he visited the Barack Obama Charter School in Los Angeles, handing out various different gizmos and toys to children.

The 2016 celebration was the fourth annual Jamal-O-Claus Toy Giveaway, and he even brought along Martin Lawrence, too.

Whether it was cuddly teddy bears or signed basketballs, there was something for everyone on another special occasion led by Crawford.

Next: Timberwolves dominate NBA.com GM survey

Jamal Crawford is an intriguing NBA veteran that the Timberwolves and their fans will be lucky to have in the fold as we draw ever closer to the kick-off of the 2017-18 season.