JJ Crawford -- Jamal Crawford's son -- talks dad's Kentucky offer, Mark Pope and his push to be best in the family

JJ Crawford is the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2029, holding 15 scholarship offers at just 15 years old. Some consider him the best high school prospect in the country, regardless of class, gifted as a three-level scorer with a sky-high basketball IQ and the God-given size and athleticism that comes with being the son of three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford.

He’s also got the competitive edge that comes with being the son of a 20-year pro, not just looking to do what his dad did — 19,419 career points from 2000-2020, for those keeping track at home — but passing him up.

Right now, it’s about being better than 15-year-old Jamal Crawford, then the 16-year-old version following his birthday in June, and so on.

“I need to be better than him at everything,” he told KSR. “Me being better than him at every age, that was our thing growing up. Just me being better at him at everything, like shooting, scoring, defense — everything.”

How does 15-year-old JJ stack up against 46-year-old Jamal? Their one-on-one battles favor the young up-and-comer, and by the sound of things, it’s only going to get worse for his old man moving forward.

“You already know,” he said confidently. “He lost six games the other day, so he don’t even need to talk about that. We need to retire from that. He tried to sneak it in during a conditioning workout, so I’m already tired. He might do it like every month, every two months.”

When Jamal falls short in the head-to-head competitions, he breaks out the tape and shows off his old YouTube highlights. Casual basketball fans drool over those, but JJ isn’t impressed — he’d rather be watching the superstars of today.

Okay, maybe he knows how good his dad was, but he can’t let his head get too big. Bragging rights are a very real thing for a family of high-level athletes.

“I mean, to be honest — any NBA kid can relate to this. Your dad will force you to watch his highlights,” Crawford told KSR. “So just growing up, of course. He actually forced me to watch his highlights like two weeks ago. I don’t want to give him that, I don’t want to give him the credit, you feel me? 
Like, I just — it’s my dad. So I don’t want to give him the credit, so I don’t like watching his highlights. I like watching SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), Cade Cunningham, KD (Kevin Durant).”

Jamal is currently JJ’s high school coach at Rainier Beach in Seattle, but also his AAU coach on the Nike EYBL circuit with NW Rotary. JJ won National Co-Freshman of the Year with the former and is currently averaging 17.0 PPG on 66/65/100 splits with the latter. He wrapped up EYBL Session II in Memphis with a 30-point effort on 11-13 shooting and 7-8 from three in a game that saw him take just nine total dribbles.

Freshman JJ Crawford just dropped 30 PTS on 9 dribbles in front of Paolo Banchero 🚨😮‍💨

🔥 30 PTS
🔥 11/13 FG
🔥 7/8 3PM@JCrossover @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/ABgA2aRPMr

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) May 17, 2026

He models his game after his dad, obviously, but also Gilgeous-Alexander, Cunningham and Durant. Doctors tell him he’ll get up to 6-foot-7 or 6-foot-8, and the goal is to be a similar ‘tall point guard’ in the NBA.

He’s rated No. 1 in his class, and potentially No. 1 among all classes. Does he believe that to be the case at this stage? Well, he believes his old Rainier Beach HS teammate wears that crown.

That may be a sore subject for Big Blue Nation, still trying to get over Tyran Stokes’ commitment to Kansas over Kentucky.

“No, because obviously — you know who I play with. I think he’s the best player,” he said of Stokes.

But what about the next generation with the No. 1 recruit in ’26 off to Lawrence for his one-and-done season in college? Does he belong in that conversation for ’27, ’28, ’29 and beyond?

“I mean, I think I’m up there,” Crawford continued. “I don’t think I’m the best player yet. I’ve still got more to prove.”

Stokes’ recruitment came with a pitch to Jamal to join Mark Pope’s staff in Lexington — his first following his retirement from basketball. The NBA legend told KSR over the weekend that, despite the top prospect’s commitment to KU, he’s still considering the offer.

What has it been like being on the other side of those conversations? JJ confirmed Kentucky’s pursuit of his dad and said it’s added a fascinating level of uncertainty to his own future in high school.

“I mean, it was kind of crazy when we heard that he got offered to go there. At first, I was like, ‘Well, I might be moving to Lexington!'” he told KSR, adding that he’s never visited the city. “But yeah, it was just kind of crazy hearing it and people making rumors that I was going to a school out there. I didn’t even know about it, so it was kind of crazy.”

That’s just for this level in high school, but what about the next? JJ says Pope wants him at Kentucky, whether or not that includes his dad on the bench — and he likes the pitch.

More importantly, he believes a turnaround is coming in short order following a tough season in Lexington this past year.

“It’s a great program, obviously. He coached at BYU,” Crawford said. “They had an alright season, but I think he’s going to turn it around and have a great season this year.”

When asked about the schools prioritizing him the most at this way-too-early stage of his recruitment — although it’s never too early for a player of Crawford’s caliber — only two names came to mind out of the 15 offers he’s already got in hand.

One has emerged early.

“Obviously, Kentucky. I think Arkansas — I don’t really know. I got to ask my dad and the head of my program who talks to the schools.

“But, obviously, it’s real with Kentucky.”