As the final buzzer echoed through the Tacoma Dome, Jamal Crawford, once the teenage prodigy who led Rainier Beach to glory in 1998, now stood on the sidelines. He witnessed his team clinch the state championship once more. This time as their coach. He has cemented himself as a legend in the basketball world. A dazzling ball-handler, a three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year, a streetball legend, and an inspiration to innumerable hoopers. But life tends to come full circle doesn’t it?
Jamal Crawford has just won his first championship as a coach stepping in for the sick Mike Bethea, leading Rainier Beach High School’s 3A boys squad to victory in the state championships. The win secured the program’s 10th state title, cementing its place as a powerhouse in Washington high school basketball. And just like that, Crawford had come full circle. And in true Crawford fashion, he made sure to share the moment with the person who helped shape him into the player, and the man he became.
The NBA legend took to social media and posted a story on Instagram. His voice filled with gratitude and nostalgia, reflecting on the man who guided him from a raw, talented kid in Seattle to one of the most entertaining guards to ever grace the league. He said “First year playing high school basketball, won a championship with him. My first year as a coach, I’m lucky enough to ride his coattails and win a championship.” “He’s so much more than a coach though. He’s done so much for our community,” referring to his longtime coach and mentor, Mike Bethea. When Jamal Crawford was asked why it is important to continue his legacy, he said, “That’s the man he raised me to be, the best way to continue the legacy, pay homage to that legacy is to do what you’re taught.”
Crawford’s success on the sidelines is definitely no accident. It reflects the lessons he learned from the man who molded him at Rainier Beach. With every play he draws up, every timeout he calls, and every word of encouragement he gives his players, he is continuing the legacy that once shaped his journey. His ability to step into this coaching role and thrive speaks volumes about the foundation Bethea built. Not just in Crawford, but in so many others who passed through Rainier Beach’s program. Let us look at the legacy Mike Bethea has carved.
Mike Bethea’s Legacy: More Than Just Wins
If you walk into Rainier Beach’s gym, the championship banners tell one story, but the players Mike Bethea has shaped tell another. Perhaps the real one. His influence isn’t just about coaching, it’s about developing character, instilling the resilience and preparation his players require for life beyond the game.
Bethea roots his approach in tough love. “The motto I live by I call the four ‘ins.’ Believe in, Trust in, Buy in, and All in,” says Bethea. “The biggest challenge with this team was getting them to trust in, getting them to believe in, getting them to buy in, and those are the everyday things like getting to class on time, getting to practice on time, giving a hundred percent effort.” He holds his players accountable, pushing them to work harder, think smarter, and play with purpose. But beyond the X’s and O’s, he teaches them about discipline, leadership, and the importance of giving back, molding them to be good individuals. That’s why so many of his former players, Jamal Crawford included, remain deeply connected to him long after their high school days are over.
The feeling of winning his first title as a coach at the very school where his journey started was more than just poetic. It was personal. As Jamal cheered from the unfamiliar position of being on the sidelines, watching his players hoist the championship trophy, he wasn’t just celebrating the present. He was honoring the past. And he paid it forward to the future, just as he had been taught 27 years ago.
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