In a matter of less than 24 hours, Jae Crowder went from an NBA free agent to starting for the Kings.
And what a memorable Kings debut it was for the veteran forward in Sacramento’s cathartic 115-104 road victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night at Target Center.
Welcome to Sac, Jae 🤝
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 28, 2024
pic.twitter.com/GXOVpnPfAB
Crowder finished with eight points, four rebounds and a steal, although it was his late-game defensive play on Minnesota forward Julius Randle that earned the proven veteran the Kings’ Defensive Player of the Game nod.
pretty good first day at work 🤣
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) November 28, 2024
Defensive Player of the Game presented by @phoonglawcorp pic.twitter.com/8A8jUqfFoo
But perhaps more impressive was the 34-year-old’s ability to hit the court running on such a short notice.
According to coach Mike Brown, Crowder landed in Minnesota at 11 p.m. on Tuesday night but was not cleared to sign his Kings contract or play until three hours before tipoff, having to go through a series of physical tests and team-oriented meetings beforehand. The veteran even missed pregame shootaround.
U.S. & World
“I had a physical, and I walked in probably 20 minutes late this morning,” Crowder told reporters.
“Coach Mike introduced me and then we put the matchups up. I saw my name and I’m like, ‘Holy crap. I’m in the fire.’ I was so ready to get home and get my nap, get my routine going.
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“I didn’t know if I was going to play tonight, but once I walked into that meeting room with the guys, I saw my name. I was like, ‘All right, it’s here.’ So, I just prepared and tried to get my mind where it needs to be.”
Crowder, selected 34th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2012 NBA Draft, is in his 12th season, and the Kings are his ninth team.
He’s the epitome of a league veteran with proven playoff experience -- reasons as to why Brown and Co. signed him following Trey Lyles’ calf injury.
“Jae has been around a long time,” Brown said. “He’s been in the league [for] 12 years. He’s been in the playoffs 11 straight years, so he knows what it takes to win.”
Crowder’s unquestionable defensive abilities can’t be overlooked, either.
“Not only that, he’s a grown ass man, and he can guard 4s, he can guard 5s," Brown continued. "And if somebody gets going in that realm, he isn’t going to back down. He’s going to fight that much harder.
“Again, you saw it tonight: You’re not going to stop Julius Randle, but you got to fight him. And if he respects you – Julius, I’m saying – you might have a chance. And we just thought that starting a game with Jae in front of him would be a little different than having a young guy on him right away.”
On the court, the Kings survived a third-quarter meltdown to come back after being down double digits in the fourth quarter, snapping their four-game losing streak.
Sacramento largely benefited from De’Aaron Fox, who finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Domantas Sabonis, who had 27 points and 12 rebounds despite reaching foul trouble in the third quarter.
Malik Monk, who praised Crowder’s veteran leadership after the game, scored a season-high 27 off the bench, including 11 in the fourth quarter.
"He's just a vet, man,” Monk said of Crowder postgame. “A vet, a great vet, [who] knows how to play the game. I think he missed the playoffs one year in his 12 years being in the league.
“Like I said, he just knows what to do on offense, defense. And [he’s] just a great vet voice.”
Mentored by the likes of Dirk Nowitski, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion and Elton Brand, Crowder categorizes himself as a serial winner.
HEY GUYS YOU HEARD THAT?? LIGHT THE BEAM.!!!! I 🔮💜💜 @SacramentoKings rificed
— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) November 28, 2024
“Like I tell the guys, I really enjoy winning,” Crowder added. “I’m obsessed with it. I really enjoy winning.
“I love the process that goes into winning. You can’t skip steps in winning, and I enjoy it. It’s hard, but this feeling we have, winning, is what you chase and what you suit up for.
“And that’s my message to the guys: We play winning basketball – we’re not going to win all the games, but if we play a winning brand of basketball, you’re going to win more than you lose. And that’s what it’s all about. That’s my message to the guys.”
On such a short notice and with very little preparation, Crowder proved that on Wednesday night – and, surely, the Kings can only be grateful for his arrival.
