感動你嗎? Isaiah Thomas、Avery Bradley憶述與Jamal Crawford的往事

CSNNE.com昨天在快艇和塞爾特人的比賽結束後報導了關於Isaiah Thomas、Avery Bradley與Jamal Crawford的故事。CSNNE.com轉述Avery Bradley的自述，曾經在華盛頓州的一個博覽會上，Jamal Crawford遇見了一群高中生，Jamal Crawford跟這群孩子拍了照後還邀請他們搭自己的車，但這群孩子告訴Jamal Crawford他們並沒有錢。於是J.C.就從自己的錢包裡掏出了一些錢給這群高中生。在這群孩子中，Avery Bradley是其中一個。
賽後Avery Bradley表示：「他甚至不知道我就是那群當時沒錢的高中生的其中一個，我跟他說了，他的反應是'怎麼可能？那裡面有你？'這是一件非常有趣的故事，我們之間的聯繫一直都在。是他給了我希望。」

引用“He didn’t even know I was that kid that he gave money to,” Bradley told reporters on Monday. “I told him the story. He was like ‘No way, that was you?’ It’s a funny story we have between us now, connection we’ll always have.”

「如果你問西雅圖的孩子他們最喜歡的籃球運動員是誰，每個孩子都會說Jamal Crawford，他是社區的模範。」

引用“He’s just a really good guy,” Bradley said. “You ask any young kid in Seattle who their favorite player is, even around my age they would have said Jamal Crawford growing up. He gives back to the community. He’s a perfect role model.”

至於Isaiah Thomas也是滿懷感慨的說了自己跟Jamal Crawford的交情，Isaiah Thomas當時在康涅狄格州的南肯特高中讀書，而Jamal Crawford則在紐約人效力。

「我橫跨了整個國家來(康涅狄格)唸書，Jamal Crawford是我唯一的家人。他一直照顧著我，每週末他都讓我坐火車去他家，有時還請我去麥迪遜花園看球。他為我做了很多事，我無法全部列舉出來。」

引用“When I was in prep school, I was across the country, I was far away from family and friends,” Thomas said. “(Crawford) was my only family. He was the guy that took me under his wing. Every weekend he would let me take the train to his house. I’d be at the (Madison Square) Garden watching Knicks games.

Thomas added, “He’s done a lot for me. I can’t explain it all.”

Thomas繼續說：「他對我來講意味著整個世界，沒有他和Jason Terry就沒有我的今天，他就像我的大哥，在過去10年間我有什麼事都會和他說。」

引用Thomas added, “He’s meant the world to me. Without him and guys like (former Celtic) Jason Terry, I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in right now. He’s a big brother to me, someone I talk to every day for like the last 10 years.”

But even before prep school, college and the NBA, Thomas said Crawford was someone he always looked up to.

“He’s the guy everybody looks up to,” Thomas said. “He’s the guy everybody wanted to be like. He’s a great basketball player but if you get to know him, he’s an even better person.”

Jamal Crawford本人又是怎麼回應他的善舉的：「我為他們( Isaiah Thomas、Avery Bradley)感到驕傲，我已經關注他們很長時間了。」

引用“I’m so proud of those guys,” Crawford told CSNNE.com recently. "I've been around a long time to watch these guys, mentor and still be out here going strong. It's a great thing."

(Source: CSNNE.com: Crawford a 'big brother' and 'role model' to Bradley, Thomas )