NBA FINALS: LAKERS VS. HEAT

September 29, 2020

Jae Crowder

Miami Heat

Practice Day

Q. Jae, just wondering, after last season you were a component of the Jazz, eliminated first round of the playoffs. You get traded to Memphis. You wind up in the NBA Finals with the Heat. Can you just reflect on what this past year has been like for you?

JAE CROWDER: My main focus has been playing at the highest level of basketball and that's the playoffs. Throughout that turmoil, I've been able to play basketball at a high level and I'm grateful for that. With the acquisition, we moved to Miami midseason. It's been good for myself and this team. I've been able to just take it in, live in the moment. Obviously, I just wanted to be on a playoff team come deadline and play for something, and that's why we are right now.

Q. You probably don't realize this because you've been in the bubble, but tomorrow will be a year ago from Media Day in Memphis, exactly a year ago. Going back a moment, bouncing off what you just answered, reflecting on what you were able to accomplish, here in Memphis where you became the leader of a young team that overachieved and now with Miami where you're this integral part of a championship team, how rewarding has this season been for you?

JAE CROWDER: Definitely it's been a learning curve for me just in the sense of the start of this season, being in Memphis, I took on a different role. I took on a different role I never took on in the NBA in the locker room, being the main focal point, being the man, a guy who the younger guys can lean on. I just wanted to excel in that role. Once I got to Miami, I had a role to excel in as well. It has been pleasant for me just to see that the hard work and dedication I've put into my craft and to this job and to basketball pay off a little bit. It's paying off in the sense of wins. I'm playing at the height level that you can play at as an NBA player. I'm grateful for that and the ups and downs with all of the moving around, all of it. I'm grateful for it and humble to be a part of it.

It speaks to my hard work and how I approach the game and how I approach my job and how I approach my craft. I'm always trying to stay present and stay in the moment and always trying to give it my best. It's been great just to be a part of everything in the past year.

Q. How is the atmosphere in the locker room before Game 1 and what is the mindset from you and from your teammates about Game 1, and do you believe that Game 1 will set the tone for the whole series?

JAE CROWDER: The atmosphere in the locker room, obviously we've been focused throughout the whole playoffs. We've been taking our opponents one game at a time, one film session at a time. That's how we are approaching this game as well.

We will be prepared mentally and physically for Game 1. I think obviously you have to readjust whatever it is you need to readjust per series. Our coaching staff has done a great job of getting us prepared for each and every game. Whether they go our way or not, I feel like each game we were prepared enough to win a game. I just think that's key at this point of your season, just to be prepared. Make sure all guys in the locker room are on the same page. Everyone is locked in on the same goal, same page. I just think that's key when you lock into the playoffs and you lock into each game, each series. It's key just to be on the same page and have one goal, and that's just to win a game. Put ourselves in position to win a game come fourth quarter, and after that, the rest of it will take care of itself.

I feel like each game we've had this postseason we've been mentally prepared and physically prepared for battle. I think that will be the case tomorrow night.

Q. You faced LeBron quite a bit over the years. What's one thing you have to do to make sure you have success against a LeBron James-led team and what's one thing he can't do or get to? One thing you have to do and one thing you can't let him do?

JAE CROWDER: One thing that you have to do is respond to the runs that his teams go on. Each team he has been on, he's been able to create such a separation at some point in the game, whether it be one big crazy run. I think you just have to try to minimize that as much as possible. That goes on both ends of the court. Obviously, you have to get good shots on the offensive end, and defensively you have to make it as tough as possible for not only him but other guys as well. I think minimizing his knockout punches, major runs the team goes on, and make it tough as possible.

It's not an easy task. Obviously, we all know that. But it's definitely something that's in our back pocket to just try to minimize as much as possible. It's such a good team, such good players over there, you just try to make it as tough as possible each and every possession.

Q. Your shooting in the last series wasn't what you did the first two rounds, but with the Heat, it's always like they give that you confidence to keep firing away from three. Where is your sort of confidence after what happened in the Eastern Conference Finals?

JAE CROWDER: Well, it happens. I put my work into the craft. I was getting different looks and good looks that I wasn't able to capitalize on. Obviously, I'm focused on just moving on, moving on to another series and doing what I do best: I play confident, I play hard and I feed confidence into my teammates, and continue to do so. I put the work in and it's all going to come into play sooner or later.

Obviously, our style here is do what we do and do it at a high level. That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to play basketball at a high level, stay within my shots at a high level and play with confidence.

Q. I know you bounced around a lot of places, what does it mean to be here at this stage and finally make it this far? Are you fueled by a lot of the times you've been traded and moved? Has that been motivational for you? Was it special to get past Boston. I know Gordon Hayward is on the other side and a lot was made about you being there when you were there. Are you motivated by being moved around, I guess?

JAE CROWDER: I'm just motivated -- to be honest with you, I'm motivated by winning. I don't care where I play. Obviously, I take pride in the group that I'm playing with. I obviously give them my all. But here I'm trying to be special and trying to be special with a special group of players. That's my motivation, just trying to conquer it all, trying to win it all. That's my motivation. That's been my motivation, not so much the trades. I don't look at that as motivation. I just try to make my mark each place I go. That's my motivation, try to be the best player I can be, whenever my number is called.

Winning conquers all. Winning conquers everything. That's my main motivation as I tie my shoes up as a basketball player, just a shot to win the game no matter the cost. I don't look too far into other teams or teams that I used to play on and stuff like that as motivation. I feel like I've been in the Eastern Conference Finals twice, threes times now. I fell short twice and that's my motivation, just to get over that hill, conquer that task of just winning at that stage. Obviously, you build that as your career goes on. That's been my motivation, trying to win at a high rate and try to win it all.

Q. Not to harp on your shooting but with these extra days off, are there certain things that you like to do? Maybe watch more film, see if you were doing anything differently or get more shots up. Is there anything you're taking these couple days to try to reset there?

JAE CROWDER: For sure. Mentally, take a step back from it. Then put the work into it or whatever you come up with. I came up with a few things.

I just try to do what I've been doing. I didn't hear any media or anyone talking about my shooting when I was making shots. It's funny y'all want to talk about it now. At the same time, just doing what I do. I'm playing basketball. I'm trying to play at a high level. I work at a high level. I just let what I do behind closed doors, just keep it at that. I'm a worker and you know I've been working on that.

Obviously, I've watched film on it. Tried to correct some thing. But at the same time I just have to play. High level of confidence and just do what I do.

Q. What does it say about Meyers' personality that he has gone from starting to really not playing at all but he is still screaming and yelling for you guys on the bench all the time?

JAE CROWDER: A total team player, a guy you want to have on your team 100 percent. He gives his all to the team, whether it be physically or it be verbally. He's a total team player. I think our locker room has embraced that, embraced him as such, and it has just been pleasant ride to be along with him.

With that being said, he definitely has a voice in our locker room. He is a leader in our locker room. Someone that we can always expect to be engaged in each and every game. He's been a great teammate. He's been one of my best teammates at this level. Obviously, his role got cut and his attitude never changed. I think that speak volumes of who he is as a person and who he is as a player, a professional.

He's definitely someone you want to have in your corner.

Q. How rare is that in the league from your experience?

JAE CROWDER: Very rare. A lot of guys have personality, a lot of guys have confidence, a lot of guys have pride, and sometimes that gets in the way. It hasn't thus far with Meyers. Just speaks to who he is as a person once again.

Q. It seemed like in the last game you really mixed up your game and going inside and attacking. Is that something that you look to do, hey, if my shot's not going, I'll change it up and do whatever I need to do?

JAE CROWDER: Yeah, I've always tried to be just a basketball player. I don't want to look at it as a guy who is just one-dimensional or just you expect the same thing each and every game. I'm a basketball player. I feel like I do a lot of different things on the court. I've been able to fill a role here in Miami, but at the same time, I am a basketball player and I can put the ball on the floor, I can make plays for myself and I can make plays for my teammates. I just try to mix that up, see how they were guarding me and just try to adjust.

Each series is going to be different. I couldn't expect me to shoot the ball like I did in the Milwaukee series and Indiana series each and every time. But I can take my time and focus in on how the defense is guarding me and how can I adjust as a basketball player to help my team excel. That's all I've been doing. That's all I've been focused on doing. That's what I was doing during the series, watching how they were guarding me, watching their weak side and how they were defending us as a team and me personally as a player and adjust my game. Obviously, I had a couple looks that didn't go my way, but I was still able to affect the game on both ends of the court. That's what I'll continue to do.

Q. What you have to do to take away when you're defending AD?

JAE CROWDER: A lot of different challenges. Obviously, the main thing is play with physicality and not foul. I think if he gets a good rhythm going at the free throw line -- I'm going to do my best to make it as tough as possible and defend without fouling. Just be the best version of myself on that end of the court without picking up any ticky-tack fouls, without sending him to the line. He's a hell of a player. He's a proven player on offense in our league. He's done a great job of being the second option -- a great first or second, whatever you want to call it -- in this league and just being able to put the team on his back on the offensive end. It's a tough challenge for all of us and we've got a lot of guys on this side who are willing to take on that challenge. I think that's key. Sounds simple, but it's key. Being willing to take on the challenge of defending him as much as possible. That's my goal.