Just one year into working on the top NBA broadcast booth at NBC Sports, Jamal Crawford is already fielding interest from coaching staffs around the league.
The former star sixth man rose quickly in broadcasting after retiring from the NBA after the 2020 season, first at TNT Sports and then with NBC. Yet as he told the Cousins podcast, hosted by his NBC colleagues Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, this week, Crawford sees himself much more as a coach than a game analyst.
And if NBA executives get their way, Crawford will make that transition sooner than later.
“I 1,000 percent know I’m going to be an NBA coach one day,” he said. “I literally turned down three NBA jobs this summer.”
.@JCrossover already knows what’s next.
“I 1000% know I’m going to be an NBA coach.” pic.twitter.com/0Wanbd3Tyz
— Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady (@VinceAndTmac) August 18, 2026
Crawford revealed that one of the three offers he received was to interview for a team’s head-coaching vacancy, while the other two likely would have been offers to immediately join a staff as an assistant.
The former Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks fan favorite is well-liked across the NBA and became a vocal mentor for younger players later in his career. Crawford said that in three years when his son, JJ, finishes high school, he fully expects to begin his coaching career.
“I never thought I could feel alive again after playing, and that was part of the reason I was so scared to put it down,” he explained. “Coaching does that for me. Because I love learning, and it’s like it challenges your mind in real time.”
As an analyst, Crawford stands out for his concise and relatable commentary. Those same qualities clearly stand out to NBA decision-makers.
Networks have had a rough time retaining top broadcasters in recent years. At ESPN, both JJ Redick and Doc Rivers left the top booth to coach teams. Stan Van Gundy and Mark Jackson did the same years earlier. The same pattern played out at TNT, where Steve Kerr once left a top broadcasting job to lead the Golden State Warriors dynasty.
The stability and pay for the top jobs at a network, which Jeff Van Gundy and Reggie Miller occupied for years under the NBA’s last national television setup, are clearly still appealing. But nobody below that perch has yet turned down a coaching offer, and Crawford seems to be the next in line.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is an Editorial Lead at Awful Announcing overseeing digital content and special projects. He lives in Phoenix and has covered sports media for Awful Announcing since 2023.