Crawford was prepared to retire before Nets' contract offer
Veteran guard Jamal Crawford was prepared to call it a career before the Brooklyn Nets offered him a contract last week.
"It didn't feel real in some sense," Crawford told reporters Wednesday, including ESPN's Nick Friedell. "I was going to sleep that night, and I woke up like, 'Did this really happen, or was I dreaming? Did the Nets really call and I really signed a contract with them or agreed to a contract?' And it was real.
"I thank God. I thank all the people that supported me, and it's a blessing, it really is, because I've been on the outside for a year, and once it gets to a certain point, you're not sure that call's going to happen, and you kind of have to face that reality as well."
Crawford hasn't played in an NBA contest since April 2019 when he went off for 51 points, five boards, and five assists in the Phoenix Suns' regular-season finale. The three-time Sixth Man of the Year didn't receive any offers in free agency last summer and wasn't sure what to make of it.
"To be honest with you, I went through a range of emotions," Crawford said. "I was frustrated at the beginning. I didn't understand. I didn't know what happened. I was like, 'Well, character-wise, I just won teammate of the year,' so I think that part's solid as far as being in the locker room. Obviously, I had a different role as far as leadership last year, but when the time came, like, 'Hey, go play,' I was able to still show I can play at a high level, so I didn't understand it.
"But at that point, I just took it the other way. I was like, 'If God said your last game is a 51-point game off the bench, then that's a heckuva exit.' So, I try to find the peace within that, and I got a chance to spend time with my family. But I'm so happy to be back."
Brooklyn's backcourt has been decimated with All-Star guard Kyrie Irving sitting out due to injury and Spencer Dinwiddie unable to go after testing positive for COVID-19.
The seventh-seeded Nets will resume their 2019-20 campaign on July 31 against the 8-seed Orlando Magic. Both clubs are separated by just a half-game.