Rainier Beach High School alumni and current NBA New York Knicks guard Jamal Crawford exchanges a handshake with his fellow NBA teammate and Vikings alumni, Nate Robinson. Both Crawford and Robinson are pictured looking down at the newly refurbished basketball court at Rainier Beach High School while the school's athletic Director Dan Jundy looks on during a Dec. 6 ceremony.
The Jamal Crawford Foundation, which was established this past June, paid the entire $100,000 bill for the refurbishing project.
"I told everyone that would listen that if I succeeded in life I would give back to my school where my dreams began to take shape," said Crawford, who lives in the Seattle area during the NBA off-season. "I am very blessed for what has happened to me, and I can't thank Beach's teachers and coaches enough for the guidance and direction they gave me. I hope Rainier Beach's student athletes enjoy this new court and experience the same thrills that I enjoyed while I was here."
After leading Rainier Beach's High School Boys team to the 1999 state basketball title, Crawford accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of Michigan prior to being the eighth pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. Crawford is now entering his sixth season in the NBA, and it's his second season with the Knicks.
Rainer Beach's "Crawford Court" includes a restored floor with a new center-court logo, a scorer's table, two electronic scoreboards, a new electronic scoring system, new chairs for the participating teams and a fresh coat of paint in the gym.
The Knicks squeaked out a 104-101 win over the Sonics later in the evening.[[In-content Ad]]
