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Jamal Crawford Says Kobe Bryant Was the Hardest Player He Ever Guarded

Published by
Robert Marvi

For almost two decades, Jamal Crawford was known as an adept one-on-one scorer and an offensive spark plug, but he was never really known for his defense.

When asked on social media the toughest player he ever had to guard, Crawford gave a not-so-surprising answer: Kobe Bryant.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend’s accomplishments speak for themselves: all-time leading scorer in NBA history among guards, five NBA championships and two Olympic gold medals.

He also took apart many an NBA player with his assortment of moves, fakes and counters.

Even elite-level defensive players such as Bruce Bowen, Doug Christie and Ron Artest were given fits by the Black Mamba when they tried to guard him.

The eighth overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, Crawford has career averages of 14.6 points and 3.4 assists a game. Along the way, he earned himself three Sixth Man of the Year awards.

Although many feel like he still has some game left, Crawford has been unemployed this season.

Early in the campaign, he appeared to hint that he wanted to join the Lakers to give their backcourt some more pop. Instead, the team ultimately went with Dion Waiters.

Robert Marvi

Robert is a native of Santa Monica, Calif., and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been an avid NBA fan since he was a little kid in the mid '90s and fell in love with the Nick Van Exel-led Lakers teams. He truly cherishes the Kobe Bryant-era of Lakers basketball and the five world championships that came with it, and is looking forward to the team's next NBA title.

Published by
Robert Marvi

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