Jordan Crawford, a member of the Enemies, put on a show against the Bivouac, who are coached by Payton. Crawford ended the game with 20 points, eight rebounds and two assists in the Enemies’ 50-46 victory in Week 7 of BIG3 action in Cincinnati.
At one point in the game, Crawford and Payton exchanged vigorous trash talk back and forth, and the situation heightened to a remarkable level. Tensions flared when Crawford was inbounding the ball, as Payton could be seen standing just a few inches from him while yelling in his face.
Crawford took the ball and attacked the rim, celebrating his bucket with the “too small” gesture to suggest Bivouac couldn’t guard him. As he walked back up the court, Payton was still yelling.
After Crawford made another 3-pointer, a timeout was called and he walked straight toward Payton. The Seattle Supersonics legend began clapping his hands directly in his face, forcing Crawford - who played 281 career games in the NBA between 2010 and 2018 - shoved Payton away and walked toward his bench.
Payton continued to yell in Crawford's direction as players on both sides, as well as referees, had to keep the moment from escalating. Both the nine-time NBA All-Star and Crawford were assessed double technicals for the incident.
Payton was renowned for his trash-talking during his 17-year career in the NBA, and the elevated stakes led him to up his game. The Enemies and Bivoauc are both 6-1 heading into the BIG3 playoffs which means their rivalry may only get feistier going forward.
With the win, Crawford’s Enemies secured the win and clinched their first playoff berth in franchise history. It was Bivouac's first loss of the season.
Earlier this year, the BIG3 hit headlines when founder Ice Cube offered WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark $5 million to play in the league. He took to social media to post: “We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship.
“But I won’t deny what’s now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn’t we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3.”
While Ice Cube insisted any BIG3 involvement wouldn’t affect her WNBA commitments, Clark did not take the offer. She was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever and made an immediate impact by breaking multiple records to earn an All-Star berth.
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