Jae Crowder didn’t just draw the ire of the Knicks for his controversial late steal, he caught the attention of ESPN analyst Tim Legler.
Legler, who played in the NBA for 12 seasons before retiring in 2000, said Wednesday night it was a bush-league move for Crowder to steal the ball and attempt a 3-pointer with 48 seconds left in the Knicks’ 127-106 blowout loss to the Grizzlies at the Garden.
Crowder stole the ball after a lazy backcourt pass from Julius Randle and dribbled the ball to the right corner for a 3-pointer, which he missed as an incensed Elfrid Payton pushed him in the chest. Crowder got up off the floor and went after Payton and a mini-fracas ensued with Randle, Marcus Morris and Damyean Dotson trying to get after Grizzlies players.
“My take on the hostilities tonight bw @nyknicks and @memgrizz. What the hell was @CJC9BOSS thinking? Seriously,” Legler tweeted. “And if someone says ‘play til the final buzzer’ then I know they have never played at any level. 18 point lead? :50 left? Stealing the inbounds? Shooting a 3?”
This drew a sarcastic response from Crowder.
“Aye Tim with all due respect I only play one way and thats hard til the buzzer sounds,” Crowder tweeted in all caps. “Im sorry if it disgusts you. I know Knicks are your team but U should tell them to play harder and less talking!”
Legler pushed back at the talk that he is a Knicks fan.
“People making me laugh as if I care about @nyknicks. Zero allegiance,” he tweeted. “Never played there. Don’t talk about them on the air EVER (laughing emoji) it wouldn’t matter who the team or player is… the other team is going to respond.”
Legler also said this broke the NBA’s unwritten rule on how teams should act in games that are clearly decided.
“I DO NOT believe there is such a thing as ‘running up the score’ in high major college or professional basketball,” he tweeted. “I HATE when teams take a shot clock violation late in a game to avoid scoring when the outcome is decided. It’s actually more humiliating.
“But this is different. NBA teams respect end of game culture. I wouldn’t care at all if they steal the ball once it’s advanced. That’s not what we are talking about. The reaction here is typical fan bias. Love it if it’s us… take him out if it’s them. I get it.”
For more on the Kobe Bryant tragedy, listen to the latest episode of the “Big Apple Buckets” podcast: