Jae Crowder facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jae Crowder

Crowder with the Boston Celtics in 2017
No. 99 – Sacramento Kings
Power forward / small forward
Personal information
Born	(1990-07-06) July 6, 1990 (age 35) 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	South Georgia Tech (2008–2009) Howard College (2009–2010) Marquette (2010–2012)
NBA Draft	2012 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34th overall
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Pro career	2012–present
League	NBA
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–present	Sacramento Kings
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-American – AP, SN (2012) Third-team All-American – NABC (2012) Big East Player of the Year (2012) First-team All-Big East (2012) NJCAA champion (2010) NABC Junior College Player of the Year (2010)

Corey Jae Crowder (pronounced JAY; born July 6, 1990) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Jae Crowder wasn't a top recruit coming out of high school. He first played college basketball at South Georgia Technical College. Then, he moved to Howard College. There, he led his team to a championship in his second year. He was also named the top junior college player. After that, he transferred to Marquette University. In his final year at Marquette, he was named the Big East Player of the Year.

After college, Crowder entered the 2012 NBA draft. He was picked 34th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. On draft night, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. In 2014, he joined the Boston Celtics. He played three years in Boston before being traded back to the Cavaliers in 2017. In 2018, Crowder was traded to the Utah Jazz. He then played for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019. In 2020, he joined the Miami Heat. With the Heat, he reached his first NBA Finals in 2020.

Later in 2020, Crowder signed with the Phoenix Suns. He reached his second NBA Finals with them in 2021. After some disagreements, Crowder and the Suns decided he would not play at the start of the 2022–23 season. He was then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023. In 2024, he signed with the Sacramento Kings.

Early Life & Basketball Journey

Jae Crowder was born on July 6, 1990, in Villa Rica, Georgia. His father, Corey Crowder, was also a professional basketball player. Jae went to Villa Rica High School. He played as the starting quarterback for the football team. He was also the starting point guard for the basketball team.

During summer breaks, Jae trained with his father in Florida. His dad was playing professional basketball in Europe at the time. Growing up, Jae was smaller and heavier than he wanted to be. In his junior year, he weighed almost 200 pounds. He asked his father for help to get in better shape. By the end of his junior year, he had grown to 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 meters). He also improved his physical fitness a lot.

College Basketball Career

Crowder was not highly recruited by big colleges after high school. He did have some offers to play football. He chose to go to South Georgia Technical College in Americus, Georgia. For his second year, he transferred to Howard College. After finishing his junior college years, he transferred to Marquette University.

Playing for South Georgia Tech

In his only season with South Georgia Tech, Jae led the Jets to their first-ever national tournament. This was in his freshman year. The team finished with a strong 21–7 record. He was named the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association Player of the Year that season.

Success at Howard College

In his second year, 2010, Crowder played for the Howard Hawks. He was named the 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. As a sophomore, he averaged 18.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.

Marquette University Highlights

After his great season at Howard College, Crowder transferred to Marquette University. He chose Marquette over other big schools. In his first season with Marquette, he averaged 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds. Some basketball experts thought Crowder was one of the best all-around players that season.

On January 1, 2011, Crowder scored a career-high 29 points. He also had 8 rebounds in a game against the West Virginia Mountaineers. In 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 round of the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row. That same season, he was named the Big East Player of the Year. He was also named a Second-Team All-American by the Associated Press.

College Awards & Honors

• Second-team All-American (2012)
• Third-team All-American (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 NBA Career

Dallas Mavericks (2012–2014)

Crowder with the Dallas Mavericks in 2012

After college, Crowder entered the 2012 NBA draft. He was expected to be picked in the second round. The Cleveland Cavaliers picked him 34th overall. But 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. Some 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 have high hopes for him. He was seen as a possible future All-Star.

His great play earned him a spot in coach Rick Carlisle's team. 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. Later, his playing time went down when the other players returned. 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. This was in a win against the Los Angeles Lakers. On June 10, 2014, the Mavericks kept Crowder on their team. With new players joining, Crowder's 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 involved several players and draft picks. On January 12, 2015, he scored a new career-high of 22 points. This was in a win against the New Orleans Pelicans. Crowder became an important player for the Celtics. His averages went up to 9.5 points per game.

On July 27, 2015, Crowder signed a new five-year contract with the Celtics. On December 18, 2015, he scored a career-high 24 points. He topped that on January 4, 2016, scoring 25 points against the Brooklyn Nets. On March 14, he had to sit out for two weeks because of an ankle injury. He came back to play on March 31.

In the first game of the 2016–17 season, Crowder scored 21 points. He missed eight games due to another ankle injury. He returned on November 19. On March 17, 2017, he had season highs with 24 points and 12 rebounds. In the playoffs, Crowder scored a playoff career-high 24 points in Game 1. This helped the Celtics win against the Washington Wizards.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2017–2018)

Crowder during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017

On August 22, 2017, Crowder was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. This trade also involved Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving. On November 20, 2017, Crowder scored a season-high 18 points against the Detroit Pistons.

Utah Jazz (2018–2019)

Crowder with the Utah Jazz in 2018

On February 8, 2018, Crowder joined the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade. In his first game for the Jazz, he scored 15 points. This was three days later in a win against the Portland Trail Blazers. On March 9, 2018, he scored a season-high 22 points. In the playoffs, Crowder scored a career playoff-high 27 points in Game 5. On January 1, 2019, Crowder scored a career-high 30 points.

Memphis Grizzlies (2019–2020)

On July 6, 2019, the Memphis Grizzlies got 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. This helped the Grizzlies beat the Brooklyn Nets in overtime. 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 brought him back together with his former college teammate Jimmy Butler. In the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, Crowder scored 22 points in Game 1. The Heat won the series and reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014. In the Finals, Crowder and the Heat lost in 6 games 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. 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 inbound pass to Deandre Ayton. Ayton dunked the ball at the buzzer, winning the game for the Suns. In Game 6, Crowder scored 19 points. This win sent Phoenix to the Finals for the first time since 1993. The Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.

On December 6, 2021, Crowder scored a season-high 19 points. The Suns made the playoffs again in 2022. However, they were eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks. On September 25, 2022, Crowder and the Suns decided he would not play at the start of the 2022–23 season. This was while the team looked for a trade for him.

Milwaukee Bucks (2023–2024)

On February 9, 2023, the Milwaukee Bucks got Crowder in a four-team trade. On April 4, 2023, Crowder scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds. This was in his first start for the Bucks. Three days later, he had a season-high 24 points. 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–present)

On November 27, 2024, Crowder signed with the Sacramento Kings.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular Season

Playoffs

College

Player Profile & Skills

Jae Crowder is known for being a good all-around player. He can play different positions on the court. He is a tough defender with a strong body. He is also good at getting rebounds. Crowder has a good three-point shot and can play well close to the basket. In his senior year at Marquette, he shot nearly 50% from the field and 34.5% from the three-point line.

Crowder has an amazing work ethic. He went from being a heavier kid to a strong, muscular player. He trains with great effort to improve his skills. His former coach, Rick Carlisle, compared him to another great player, Tayshaun Prince. Carlisle said that Jae is very mature for his age. He has a natural energy for basketball. He is the kind of player who fits well on any team.

Personal Life

Jae Crowder's father, Corey, also played in the NBA. He played for the Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs. His father had a 14-year professional basketball career, mostly playing in Europe. Jae has seven brothers and sisters. He studied communication studies at Marquette University.

Jae's mother, Helen Thompson, passed away from cancer in August 2017. She died on the same night he was traded to Cleveland from Boston. At a press conference, he shared a touching moment. He said, "The good thing about the whole ordeal was I was able to whisper it to my mom before she passed. I was with her. I just told her, 'We're going to Cleveland.' Five minutes later, she passed."

See also

In Spanish: Jae Crowder para niños

• List of second-generation NBA players