Crawford prioritizing team 'fit' over NBA championships

Jamal Crawford has played 18 seasons in the Association and has yet to sniff an NBA championship.

That doesn't mean much to the crafty 38-year-old, after spending last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves under hard-nosed coach Tom Thibodeau where Crawford struggled to find a proper role.

His goal if he returns next season is to find a team where he can seamlessly fit in and flourish.

"Fit is first and foremost when I'm thinking about where I'll play next," Crawford said, according to the Seattle Times' Percy Allen. "Last year, I may have made the mistake of not thinking fit all the way through.

"You look at my career, when the fit was right, I contributed on the court … I know people that care for me want me to win (an NBA title), but I don’t know if my career will be defined by that."

Crawford is known for his unmatched ball handling ability and a knack for scoring from anywhere. Even at his age, Crawford is capable of giving a team excellent minutes on the offensive end because of his competitive fire.

"I'm going on 19 years and I still have this fire to compete, in August, in a so-called meaningless game," Crawford added. "I've always been like that. It doesn't matter if it's one person in the gym or 10,000, I’ve always played to win."

Crawford was crowned Sixth Man of the Year as recently as 2016 with the L.A. Clippers. However, the veteran guard completed arguably the worst campaign of his career last season, averaging 10.3 points in 20.7 minutes.