Following his playing career with the Arizona Wildcats and numerous coaching stops at the college and pro levels, Quinton Crawford is ready for his first pro head coaching stint. This week in Las Vegas, he'll be the bench leader of the Phoenix Suns' NBA Summer League team.
Crawford’s goal is to implement the Suns’ schemes to evaluate the best fits around stars Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
“I can relate to these players as I also wanted to get to this level,” Crawford said of the early-career players working to make the Suns full-time. “I have never been an NBA player but I have been in their shoes and I know how bad they want it.”
Quinton Crawford, right, has some fun with teammate T.J. McConnell following men's basketball media day in the Richard Jefferson Gymnasium in 2012.
Crawford, 32, has coached in the summer league before with the Los Angeles Lakers. After his playing days at Arizona, he became a grad assistant at Pepperdine before making it to the NBA as an assistant video coordinator for the Sacramento Kings. He eventually became an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic under new Suns coach Frank Vogel, and again with Vogel in Los Angeles, with the Lakers winning the 2020 NBA title.
After a recent run with the Dallas Mavericks, he joined Vogel again this offseason, this time in Phoenix. UA all-time great and ex-Lakers assistant Miles Simon is also on staff as an assistant coach.
“Anytime you get head coaching opportunities in this league you take them,” Crawford said. “It’s all about reps, especially if you’re not in the G-League getting those reps, so the summer league is a great chance for me to grow as a coach. ”
While a trip to Las Vegas may seem like a vacation for some, Crawford has echoed to the team that this is a business trip and should be treated as such.
“This isn’t a trip to have fun," he said. "This is a job interview for all of us."
A look at former Arizona Wildcats — players and coaches — taking part in NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
The Arizona Wildcats basketball program will spend part of the summer abroad in Israel and Abu Dhabi. Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said "the more you travel, the better, more well-rounded people you become.” Video by Justin Spears/Arizona Daily Star (July 24, 2023)
