Former 2020 Lakers Assistant Joining West Nemesis As G League Head Coach

He helped the Lakers win a championship in 2020.

Eva Geitheim | Sep 8, 2024

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Lakers

The Sacramento Kings have hired former Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Quinton Crawford to be the head coach of their G-league affiliate, the Stockton Kings, via The Athletic's Shams Charania.

The Sacramento Kings are hiring Quinton Crawford as head coach of the franchise’s NBA G League Stockton Kings, sources tell @TheAthletic. Crawford, 33, spent last seven seasons as an NBA assistant, including 2023-24 in Phoenix. He was part of the 2020 Lakers championship staff.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 6, 2024

Crawford served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2019-22. He was hired by former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel and worked under Vogel until he was fired following the 2021-22 season.

Crawford helped Vogel and the Lakers win a championship during the 2019-20 bubble season. They finished the season 52-19, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets to advance to the NBA Finals. The Lakers then defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals in six games, giving the Lakers their 17th NBA championship.

The Lakers were unable to replicate the success they had with Vogel over the next two seasons. They went 42-30 the following season but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns. The next season, the Lakers went just 33-49 and missed the playoffs altogether. Vogel and his staff were fired after the season.

Crawford went on to work as an assistant coach under Jason Kidd on the Dallas Mavericks during the 2022-23 season. After one season with the Mavericks, Crawford reunited with Vogel. Vogel had become the Suns' head coach and hired Crawford onto his staff once again.

While the Suns went 49-33 and advanced to the playoffs, Vogel and his staff were fired after the Suns fell in the first round of the playoffs again.

Prior to joining the Lakers, Crawford played basketball for Middlesex County College before transferring to Arizona. He appeared in just nine games for the Wildcats over two seasons but never recorded a point.

Following his time in college, Crawford spent two seasons at Pepperdine as a graduate manager and video coordinator. He then began working in the NBA as an assistant video coordinator for the Kings and later took on a similar role with the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic. On the Magic, Crawford worked under Vogel for the first time.