By Ike Everard

Ever since I can remember I’ve been entranced with Jamal Crawford’s annual Pro-Am. The presence of local and NBA talent just down the street from where I grew up was a constant source of joy for me each summer, and I remember making the walk to SPU’s Royal Brougham Pavilion to watch players like Isiah Thomas, Kevin Durant and Zach Lavine take center stage alongside Crawford. When Omari mentioned a longstanding connection with Jamal, I knew I had to jump on the opportunity to tell the story of one of my favorite Seattle traditions. 

For this piece, I wanted to take the production fully into my own hands. I shot, edited and produced the entire video, with a massive shoutout to Steve Hickey and Curtis Delgardo II for their gear and assistance filming the Jamal Crawford interview. I spent two days at the Pro-Am, filming from the sidelines and interviewing players like Jaylen Nowell, Marquese Chriss and local legend Shadeed Shabazz. Meeting Jamal, in the box overlooking the court while Nowell scored basket after basket, was truly a surreal experience. Telling the story of an NBA legend was an honor and something I will never forget.