James Crawford (basketball) facts for kids
| Power forward / Centre | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 13, 1960 Lower Peach Tree, Alabama, U.S. |
| High school | Pine Hill (Pine Hill, Alabama) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 214 lb (97 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1981 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1982–2003 |
| Career history | |
| 1982–1985 | Geelong Supercats |
| 1986 | Canberra Cannons |
| 1987–1999 | Perth Wildcats |
| 2003 | Canberra Cannons |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
James Crawford, born on April 13, 1960, is a retired American basketball player. He played for many years in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL). His career in Australia lasted from 1982 to 2003.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Early Life and School
James Crawford was born in Lower Peach Tree, Alabama. He went to Pine Hill High School in Pine Hill, Alabama. Before playing basketball in Australia, he studied at Livingston University. He also attended Cumberland College in Kentucky.
Professional Basketball Career
Crawford started his NBL career in 1982. He joined the Geelong Supercats team. After playing four seasons with Geelong, he moved. In 1986, he played for the Canberra Cannons.
Joining the Perth Wildcats
In 1987, James Crawford joined the Perth Wildcats. He played for the Wildcats for 13 seasons. His last full season with them was in 1998–99. Even after retiring due to an injury in 1999, he played one more NBL game. This was for the Canberra Cannons in the 2002–03 NBL season.
Amazing Scoring Records
While playing for the Wildcats in 1987, Crawford had two games where he scored over 50 points. On September 6, 1987, he set a new scoring record for the Wildcats. He scored an incredible 57 points in a game against the Melbourne Tigers. The Wildcats won that game by 34 points. He played for all 48 minutes of the game. He made 24 out of 36 shots. This record stood for a very long time. It was finally broken on December 1, 2024, by Bryce Cotton.
NBL Championships and Awards
James Crawford was a very important player for the Wildcats. He helped them win three NBL championships. These wins happened in 1990, 1991, and 1995. He was also chosen for the NBL's All-First Team four times. These selections were in 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1987.
Career Achievements
Crawford played a total of 504 NBL games. Out of these, 371 games were for the Wildcats. He scored 11,121 points in his career. This means he averaged about 22.1 points per game. He also had 4,794 rebounds, which is about 9.5 per game. He blocked 788 shots, averaging 1.5 blocks per game.
In 1998, he was chosen for the NBL (Australia) 20th Anniversary Team. This team celebrated the best players from the NBL's first 20 years. In 2004, he was also named to the NBL (Australia) 25th Anniversary Team.
In 2013, James Crawford was honored again. He was named to the Perth Wildcats 30th Anniversary All-Star team. In the same year, he was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame. This is a very special award for basketball legends.
As of 2024, James Crawford's jersey number, 7, has been retired by the Perth Wildcats. This means no other player on the team will wear that number. It's a big honor given to only a few players.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Crawford also worked as a coach. He was the head coach for the Perth Breakers team. This was during the 2000–01 WNBL season.
Career Highlights
Here are some of James Crawford's main achievements:
- NBL Champion: 3 times (1990, 1991, 1995)
- NBL All-Star: 10 times (1988–1997)
- All-NBL First Team: 4 times (1982, 1983, 1984, 1987)
- Perth Wildcats MVP: 4 times (1987, 1988, 1990, 1992)
- NBL's 20th Anniversary Team: 1998
- NBL's 25th Anniversary Team: 2003
- Australian Basketball Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2013
- Perth Wildcats Retired Jersey: Number 7
