Jae Crowder facts for kids
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Crowder with the Boston Celtics in 2017
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| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Power forward / small forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 6, 1990 Villa Rica, Georgia, U.S. |
| High school | Villa Rica (Villa Rica, Georgia) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2012 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34th overall |
| Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Pro career | 2012–present |
| Career history | |
| 2012–2014 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2014 | →Texas Legends |
| 2014–2017 | Boston Celtics |
| 2017–2018 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2018–2019 | Utah Jazz |
| 2019–2020 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2020 | Miami Heat |
| 2020–2023 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2023–2024 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2024–2025 | Sacramento Kings |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Corey Jae Crowder (/dʒeɪ/ jay; born July 6, 1990) is an American professional basketball player. He last played for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Jae Crowder was not highly recruited out of high school. He first went to South Georgia Technical College and then Howard College. At Howard, he led his team to an NJCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship in his second year. He was also named State Farm Junior College Player of the Year. Later, he transferred to Marquette University. There, he was named Big East Player of the Year in his final college season.
After college, Crowder entered the 2012 NBA draft. He was picked 34th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers but was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on draft night. In 2014, Crowder was traded to the Boston Celtics. He played three years in Boston before being traded back to the Cavaliers in August 2017. In 2018, Crowder moved to the Utah Jazz. He was then traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019, and to the Miami Heat in 2020. With the Heat, he reached his first NBA Finals that same year. In 2020, Crowder signed with the Phoenix Suns and reached his second NBA Finals in 2021. After some disagreements, Crowder sat out the start of the 2022–23 season. He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023. In 2024, he signed with the Sacramento Kings.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
Jae Crowder was born on July 6, 1990, in Villa Rica, Georgia. His parents are Helen Thompson and Corey Crowder, who was also a professional basketball player. Jae went to Villa Rica High School. There, he played as the starting quarterback for the football team. He was also the starting point guard for the basketball team.
During summer breaks, Crowder trained with his father in Florida. His dad had played in the NBA and then in Europe. When he was younger, Jae was smaller and heavier than he is now. By the end of his junior year, he had grown taller and improved his fitness a lot.
College Basketball Journey
Jae Crowder was not highly recruited by colleges for basketball. However, he did receive some offers for football. He decided to play basketball and committed to South Georgia Technical College in Americus, Georgia. After his first year, he transferred to Howard College for his second season. Once his junior college time was over, he moved to Marquette University.
Playing for South Georgia Tech
In his only season with South Georgia Tech, Jae Crowder helped the team make history. He led the Jets to their first-ever appearance in the NJCAA national tournament. The team finished with a strong 21–7 record. For his great performance, he was named Georgia Junior College Athletic Association Player of the Year.
Success at Howard College
In his second year of college, 2010, Crowder played for the Howard Hawks. He was named NABC NJCAA Player of the Year. He also helped his team win their first-ever NJCAA Division I championship. In the final game, he scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. This helped his team win 85–80 in overtime against Three Rivers Community College. That season, he averaged 18.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
Time at Marquette University
After his successful season with the Howard Hawks, Crowder transferred to Marquette University. He chose Marquette over other big schools like UNLV and Georgia Tech. In his first year with Marquette, he averaged 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds. Some basketball experts thought Crowder was one of the best all-around players in the 2010–11 season. On January 1, 2011, he scored a career-high 29 points against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
For the 2011–2012 season, Crowder averaged 17.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. He led Marquette to a second-place finish in the Big East Conference. They also reached the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row. In the same season, he was named Big East Player of the Year. He was also recognized as a Second-Team All-American by the Associated Press.
College Awards and Honors
- Second-team All-American – AP, TSN (2012)
- Third-team All-American – NABC (2012)
- Big East Player of the Year (2012)
- All-Big East First Team (2012)
- NABC Junior College Player of the Year (2010)
- NJCAA Men's Division I champion (2010)
Professional Basketball Career
After his college career, Jae Crowder decided to enter the 2012 NBA draft. He was expected to be picked in the second round.
Dallas Mavericks (2012–2014)
The Cleveland Cavaliers picked Crowder 34th overall. However, on draft night, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He officially signed with the Mavericks on July 20, 2012.
Crowder played very well in the NBA Summer League and preseason games. Many people called him "the steal of the NBA draft." He averaged 11.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in preseason games. This strong start made people think he could be a future All-Star. His excellent play earned him a spot in coach Rick Carlisle's team rotation. He played in the first game of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers. When star player Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion were injured, Crowder became the team's starting small forward. As the season went on, his playing time decreased. The Mavericks missed the playoffs that year. Crowder averaged 5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
On November 5, 2013, Crowder scored a career-high 18 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. In February 2014, he spent some time with the Texas Legends in the NBA Development League. On June 10, 2014, the Mavericks kept Crowder on their team. However, with new players joining, his playing time dropped at the start of the 2014–15 season.
Boston Celtics (2014–2017)
On December 18, 2014, Crowder was traded to the Boston Celtics. He was part of a big trade that also involved Jameer Nelson and Brandan Wright. On January 12, 2015, he scored a career-high 22 points against the New Orleans Pelicans. Crowder became an important player for the Celtics. His averages improved to 9.5 points per game.
On July 27, 2015, Crowder re-signed with the Celtics for five years. On December 18, 2015, he scored a new career-high of 24 points. He topped that on January 4, 2016, scoring 25 points against the Brooklyn Nets. He tied this record again on January 13. In March, he missed eight games due to an ankle sprain.
In the Celtics' first game of the 2016–17 season, Crowder scored 21 points. He then missed eight games with another ankle injury. He returned on November 19. On March 17, 2017, he had season highs with 24 points and 12 rebounds. On March 26, he set a new season high with 25 points. In the playoffs, Crowder scored a playoff career-high 24 points in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Washington Wizards.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2017–2018)
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On August 22, 2017, Crowder was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. This trade also involved Isaiah Thomas and Ante Žižić. They were traded for Kyrie Irving. On November 20, 2017, Crowder scored a season-high 18 points against the Detroit Pistons.
Utah Jazz (2018–2019)
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On February 8, 2018, Crowder was acquired by the Utah Jazz in a trade involving three teams. In his first game for the Jazz, he scored 15 points. On March 9, 2018, he scored a season-high 22 points against the Memphis Grizzlies. In the playoffs, Crowder scored a career playoff-high 27 points in Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. On January 1, 2019, Crowder scored a career-high 30 points against the Toronto Raptors.
Memphis Grizzlies (2019–2020)
On July 6, 2019, the Memphis Grizzlies acquired Crowder from the Jazz. He made his Grizzlies debut on October 23. On October 27, Crowder hit a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime against the Brooklyn Nets. On January 4, 2020, Crowder scored a season-high 27 points.
Miami Heat (2020)
On February 6, 2020, Crowder was traded to the Miami Heat. This trade reunited him with his former college teammate Jimmy Butler. In his Heat debut, Crowder scored 18 points. In the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, Crowder scored 22 points in Game 1 against the Boston Celtics. The Heat won the series and reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014. In the Finals, Crowder and the Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Phoenix Suns (2020–2023)
On November 28, 2020, Crowder signed a three-year contract with the Phoenix Suns. He made his Suns debut on December 23. On April 12, 2021, Crowder scored a season-high 26 points against the Houston Rockets. The Suns made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
On June 22, 2021, in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, Crowder made a key play. With less than a second left, he threw an alley-oop pass to Deandre Ayton for a game-winning dunk. This helped the Suns win 104–103 against the Los Angeles Clippers. In Game 6, Crowder scored 19 points, sending Phoenix to the Finals for the first time since 1993. In the Finals, the Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.
On December 6, 2021, Crowder scored a season-high 19 points against the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns made the playoffs again in 2022. However, they were eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round. On September 25, 2022, Crowder and the Suns agreed that he would sit out the 2022–23 season until a trade could be found.
Milwaukee Bucks (2023–2024)
On February 9, 2023, Crowder was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. This was part of a four-team trade. On April 4, 2023, Crowder scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds in his first start for the Bucks. Three days later, he had a season-high 24 points against the Memphis Grizzlies.
On July 9, 2023, Crowder re-signed with the Bucks. On February 8, 2024, he recorded season highs of 21 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
Sacramento Kings (2024–2025)
On November 27, 2024, Crowder signed with the Sacramento Kings.
Player Skills and Style
Jae Crowder is known for being a versatile player who can play different positions. He is a tough defender and a good rebounder. He has a strong build and works very hard to improve his skills. He also has a good three-point shot. In his senior year at Marquette, he shot 49.8% from the field and 34.5% from the three-point line.
His former coach, Rick Carlisle, compared him to Tayshaun Prince. Carlisle said that Jae has a maturity beyond his years. He also noted that Crowder has a natural energy for basketball and would fit well on any team.
Personal Life
Jae Crowder's father, Corey Crowder, played in the NBA for the Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs. He also had a long 14-year professional basketball career, mostly playing in Europe. Jae has seven brothers and sisters. He studied communication studies at Marquette University.
Crowder's mother, Helen Thompson, passed away from cancer in August 2017. She died on the same night he was traded to Cleveland from Boston. Jae shared that he was able to tell his mom about the trade before she passed away.
See also
In Spanish: Jae Crowder para niños
- List of second-generation NBA players
