Clippers’ Jamal Crawford wants to play five more years

After becoming the first player in NBA history to win three Sixth Man of the Year awards, Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Jamal Crawford (36) isn’t close to retiring.

Spurred on by yet another NBA Sixth Man of the Year trophy, Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Jamal Crawford isn’t letting retirement cross his mind. From the youthful, softly spoken voice to the ridiculous crossovers that leave any hopeful basketball player in envy, he certainly doesn’t look his age as a 36-year-old. Even though his shooting efficiency wavers around 40 percent and his defense is poor, he moves around the court with an effortless bounce in his step, creating plenty of highlight plays and making far too many bad shots.

It’s just what Crawford does and he’s made a career from it. He’s the run-and-gun bench scorer that fires shots in rapid succession for any second unit he’s a part of, which has lately graced the Clippers with his scoring and two Sixth Man of the Year awards.

The first during his time in L.A. came in the 2013-14 season, and to cap off another regular season, one that was full off big offensive performances in the absence of Blake Griffin, Crawford received another on Tuesday.

During his press conference, he touched on a few aspects of his energy and success when it comes to winning the award more than anyone else in history.

He’s always lived a clean lifestyle, his wife forced him to give up Capri Suns in favor of a constant flow of water, and he enjoys what he does. Jamal Crawford lives for basketball, and most importantly, he doesn’t let age or the number “36” be a physiological burden on what he aims to achieve on the court.

In fact, he went far enough to say that he wants to play another five years, taking him to the seasoned age of 41.

Is it the best idea for Crawford to keep playing for another five years, though?

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36.5

Well, as long as it brings him joy and there’s a team who has a role for a high-frequency, low-efficiency scorer, Crawford can keep a roster spot. It was his play for three months without Griffin, averaging 15.6 points in 27.7 minutes per game, that earned him a third Sixth Man of the Year trophy, and will keep his place with the Clippers or any other team he may end up with.

If that can keep Crawford in the NBA, he might as well keep at it for the love of the game and a few pay days that won’t exactly hurt either.

However, the problems arise with Crawford’s defense and his efficiency. The former has been a constant problem and the latter was terrible prior to Griffin’s injury. He’s been a defensive weakness throughout the season as he maintains the role of the Clippers’ run-and-gun guy, while his 36.5 percent shooting and 31.5 percent three-point shot before Blake went down was far from pretty.

Next: Clippers-Blazers Game 2: Predictions and final thoughts

It goes without saying that no one is going to stop Jamal Crawford from continuing his successful career and love with basketball for as long as possible. The real question is whether those weaknesses increase as he gets older, causing teams around the league to end what could sadly become a one-sided love affair in a few years time.