Jamal Crawford finally made his long-awaited debut for the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, but he had to leave the 119-116 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks after just six minutes of play because of a strained left hamstring.
Crawford injured the hamstring in the second quarter and never returned to the game. It is unclear how long he will have to miss because of the injury. Nets interim coach Jacque Vaughn wasn't sure if Crawford would need an MRI.
"We'll get him diagnosed and see what happens from there," Vaughn said.
Crawford, 40, signed with the Nets last month after the organization dealt with a slew of injuries and positive tests for the coronavirus. He had been held out of the Nets' first two bubble games in Orlando, Florida, as Vaughn wanted Crawford to build up his conditioning after being out of the league since April 2019.
"I'm telling you, I love having him around," Vaughn said after watching Crawford score five points and dish out three assists. "It was awesome to see him on the floor tonight, and [I] look forward to him being on the floor again."
Vaughn reiterated prior to the game that he has enjoyed having Crawford with the Nets and appreciates that the veteran guard has been willing to help as a sounding board for the young roster.
"I love having guys who love basketball around the group," Vaughn said before the game. "And Jamal does. You can talk to him about today's game, you can talk to him about a game five years ago, you can talk to him about how the league has changed. So just overall talking basketball, I enjoy that. I enjoy a guy that's not only engaged in himself but the entirety of the group, so it's been awesome to have him around."
Tuesday marked the first time Crawford had been in an NBA game since April 9, 2019, when he went off for 51 points as a member of the Phoenix Suns in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Crawford became the oldest player in the league after Vince Carter, 43, announced his retirement earlier this summer.