July 24, 2025 • 10 mins
Former XU star Jordan Crawford will be back in Cincinnati on Saturday, playing in this week's Big 3 event. He joined us on ESPN1530 to talk about the Big 3, his Xavier career, his memorable shot in one of the NCAA Tournament's greatest games, dunking on LeBron, and fighting Lance Stephenson.
Get Bg 3 tickets at BIG3.com/tickets.
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
Get Bg 3 tickets at BIG3.com/tickets.
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Big Three is returning to Cincinnati this Saturday. Tip
off is going to be at one o'clock at Heritage
Bank Arena. Tickets are available at Big three dot com
slash tickets if especially if you're a Xavier fan, you're
gonna love this because Jordan Crawford is back playing for
the all new LA Riot alongside Hall of Famer Dwight
Howard and Nick Young. It is going to be awesome
(00:22):
to have the Big Three back, very successful event last year,
and you get a chance to see some guys who
have made their mark in Cincinnati. Jordan at the top
of that list, he joins us. Now, it's awesome to
have you. Jordan, good afternoon.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
How are you? Oh appreciate cha having me. I'm excited
to be in Cincinnati for the weekend, getting to play
in front of a lot of Xavier fans.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
So let's talk about the Big Three. Your basketball journey
has taken you all over the world. You've had success
in the NBA. Give us an idea of how and
why you decided to join the Big Three.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Well, it was a great opportunity that IQ has created
a lot of basketball players that had a lot of
basketball left in him. Get to play. And I was
already scoping it out before I got in it because
mainly it's in the States, and you get to play
against you get to play in front of your family,
get to play in places like Cincinnati, where I played
(01:16):
in college. So that was the most intriguing thing about it.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
You talk about playing in Cincinnati, and obviously there's gonna
be a lot of Xavier fans there and we're going
to talk about your time at XU. But how cool
is it to get a chance to come play in
front of folks who watched you in college.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Oh, it means a lot, because especially now, it almost
feels like a different lifetime. And actually, back in February,
I got introduced him to the Hall of Fame as Xavier.
So to be able to come play that is gonna
be real fun.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah, no question about that. It's also got to be
cool to play with a Hall of Famer in Dwight Howard.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Oh, of course, of course. Dwight Howard brings a lot
of exposure to the league. He is actually getting into
form and learning the Big Three rules and he just
dominated last week trait. So Cincinnati fans should be people
in Cincinnati should be excited to see him play.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Now I watched in a Big Three game there was
a fight between you and Lance Stevenson. Walk me through that.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Does that?
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Does that have its roots? And when you guys win
toe to toe in the shootout fifteen years.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Ago, I mean we did come out the same draft,
played against each other and the Xavier or Cincinnati shootout.
So you always want to beat somebody that you would
playing against, you know, basically your whole career. So and
then the Big Three is so personal. Everything is so close,
So that may have nothing to do with it.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Well, and it's it's half court, right, so you know
it's it's it's half the court. There's only a handful
of you. You're not gonna have teammates come and get
you off the bench. And so a fight in the
Big Three is different than a fight, let's say in
a five on five NBA or college basketball game.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, I mean everything is a little different because the
three on three dynamic everything. You can the fans, that's
what's exciting about the Big Three for the fans. You
can almost see those things coming. So you right up
close and the excitement is now stop.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
You mentioned earlier this year you went into the Hall
of Fame. Exavier obviously very well deserved programs in a
transition phase. How closely in recent years have you followed
XU basketball.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Well, I'm following it. I've been following it real close. Mario,
you know, he really keeps Mario mccurrey. He really keeps
me up with everything that's going on and just watching
the players. They had a great team last year and
they could have you know, couldn't get over to Hump,
played a lot of good teams that they lost to.
But you know, I always follow It's hard not to,
you know, I had so many you know that being
(03:36):
at Xavier for those two years really decided which path
I was going to go in my career. So Xavier
is an important place to.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
What I think of you and when a lot of
people think of you. The first image that comes to
mind is of the Kansas State Game, which is one
of the great college basketball games of all time. And
I know you guys didn't win it, but Sweet sixteen
twenty ten, you hit the shot from nearly half court
to send the game to double overtime. Obviously it's easier
to talk about if you would have won. It's hard
(04:05):
to believe it's been a decade and a half. But
what comes to mind when you think of that night.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
The thing that what comes to mind is how close
he was to play Butler. Again, that's something that that
that hurts me all the time. But uh, it was
just it was just kind of you it's hard to
look at the game. Did you see a couple of
players where it could have changed, and just knowing the
impact they had on on all the recruits and people
(04:34):
after that for a long lasting time that I didn't
know how big of a game it was, you know,
and it was like the only game on the last
game on that day, So the effect that had following
was surprising to me. I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I'm sure like you did, you wouldn't want to hear
this right after the game, but like all these many
years later, it has to be cool that people still
talk about that game and that shan yeah, yeah, I
mean the.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Bar stories out here where people was at that is
the that's the most exciting part, just knowing how when
people come up and tell me how the places they were,
how they reacted when I hit the shot. So that's
the fact that people still talk about it like it
happened two three years ago or something is amazing.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
What is your your fondest memory of your time playing
in xavior.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Nca Tournament is one that whole season just you know,
the expectation, especially after Lebron situation, the expectation that was
on me, and how we how we grew throughout the
season and got better. But even my sitout year, I remember,
you know, when charn Miller was coaching, the team had
made it to number seventh in the country after beating Cincinnati,
(05:48):
and I just remember, like Dan, this is a big
time program. So just all those memories of how much
of a basketball college it was.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
So you mentioned something that I would have imagine perhaps
younger listeners are not familiar with that when you dunked
on Lebron James. That was a really big deal. And
there was the whole thing with the tapes. Were they confiscated,
were they not confiscated? There's video on YouTube. We could
talk about this now, like, what what was it like
at that stage in your life you dunk on Lebron
(06:17):
James and it becomes a thing.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, I didn't, you didn't really, I didn't realize what
was happening. It was the first time. You know, I
was always considered like an underdog, So after that happened,
it was the first time being in that position of
like the spotlight. So that was that was kind of new.
But then just understanding what was to come, I mean,
(06:40):
the taking of the tapes and always kind of having
this this bullsey on your back from not just you know,
your peers, but even your employers. Just understanding that I'm
Joey Crawford, the guy that dunked on Bron that still
sticks with me to this day, even more than the
shot Exavier. So, and it was at Lebron's camp, right, Yes,
(07:03):
it was at Lebron's camp. It was the first day
of the camp, and it kind of blew up to proportion,
out of proportion where it was something that I couldn't
control and no one else on my side to control.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I mean, obviously your paths have crossed with Lebron James
a few times since. Has the dunk come up?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
No, the dunk never comes up. I mean it kind
of the duck kind of made it where every time
it was kind of awkward around Lebron because I was
always I was always trying to climb up hill and
you know, I didn't know what really happened behind the
scenes after that dunk, so I was kind of always
on edge a little bit.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
The Xavier Hall of Famer Jordan Crawford will be in
town on Saturday, the Big Three at the Heritage Bank
Arena at one o'clock. Jordan playing for the All New
La Riot. They have a three to two record, three
and two record coming into Saturday. You all so in
Detroit you own a speakeasy. Now, I love the concept
of a speakeasy. Tell me about this.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Well, it's a family owned business that we put together.
My two brothers and my mom and dad. We all
own it and we all created it. And it's a
coffee shop first and then it's a speakeasy in the middle,
and then we have a lounge in the back. And
we have had the We had President Joe Biden in there.
We had Tamala Harrison there, we have had IQ recently.
(08:30):
We have had a lot of people that come through
and been excited about the place. And it's been open
for a little under two years. Had the buildings in
twenty seventeen. But yeah, it's been very exciting in the
city of Detroit.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
I have to ask when you own an establishment like
that and you find out that the president of the
United States or the vice president of the United States
is going to stop by, how does that work?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Well, we had new We had new like four or
five days before, and then basically wasn't our building anymore.
The Secret Service owned it.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Now, when I think speak easy, I think like, you
gotta have a secret password to get in. Is that
how it works or is it more open to the public.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, yeah, we gotta. I mean it's open to the public,
but they need to know the password to get past
the coffee shop. All right, yeah, and the password but
were not high and that the password is having a
good day, trying to have a better night. Oh all right.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Well, when I'm in Detroit, I'm gonna I'm gonna remember that.
Enjoy your time in Cincinnati. It's it's been fun to
follow your career. It's gonna be cool to get a
chance to watch you back in town. Congratulations on making
Xaviers Hall of Fame and uh and continued success. Thanks
so much for doing.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
This means a lot. Appreciate that having me You got.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
A Jordan Crawford part of the Big Three. Saturday One
o'clock at the Heritage Bank Center. You can get tickets
at Big three dot com. Slash Tickets tip off at
one o'clock. Tony Pike Bengals training camp report next Cincinnati's
ESPN eighteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. At u See Health,
you'll find comprehensive care that's so personal it makes your
best tomorrow possible. That's boundless care for better outcomes. Expect
more at UCHealth dot com. On Alexandria Pike, there's an
accident at Louis b Nun Drive northbound seventy one. Another
accident at two seventy five that's got both shoulders blocked
(10:24):
off and on southbound seventy five approaching nor Would lateral
an accident on the right shoulder earlier crash cleared northbound
seventy five at Town. I'm at exelic with traffic.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
This report is
The Big Three is returning to Cincinnati this Saturday. Tip
off is going to be at one o'clock at Heritage
Bank Arena. Tickets are available at Big three dot com
slash tickets if especially if you're a Xavier fan, you're
gonna love this because Jordan Crawford is back playing for
the all new LA Riot alongside Hall of Famer Dwight
Howard and Nick Young. It is going to be awesome
(00:22):
to have the Big Three back, very successful event last year,
and you get a chance to see some guys who
have made their mark in Cincinnati. Jordan at the top
of that list, he joins us. Now, it's awesome to
have you. Jordan, good afternoon.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
How are you? Oh appreciate cha having me. I'm excited
to be in Cincinnati for the weekend, getting to play
in front of a lot of Xavier fans.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
So let's talk about the Big Three. Your basketball journey
has taken you all over the world. You've had success
in the NBA. Give us an idea of how and
why you decided to join the Big Three.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Well, it was a great opportunity that IQ has created
a lot of basketball players that had a lot of
basketball left in him. Get to play. And I was
already scoping it out before I got in it because
mainly it's in the States, and you get to play
against you get to play in front of your family,
get to play in places like Cincinnati, where I played
(01:16):
in college. So that was the most intriguing thing about it.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
You talk about playing in Cincinnati, and obviously there's gonna
be a lot of Xavier fans there and we're going
to talk about your time at XU. But how cool
is it to get a chance to come play in
front of folks who watched you in college.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Oh, it means a lot, because especially now, it almost
feels like a different lifetime. And actually, back in February,
I got introduced him to the Hall of Fame as Xavier.
So to be able to come play that is gonna
be real fun.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah, no question about that. It's also got to be
cool to play with a Hall of Famer in Dwight Howard.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Oh, of course, of course. Dwight Howard brings a lot
of exposure to the league. He is actually getting into
form and learning the Big Three rules and he just
dominated last week trait. So Cincinnati fans should be people
in Cincinnati should be excited to see him play.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Now I watched in a Big Three game there was
a fight between you and Lance Stevenson. Walk me through that.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Does that?
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Does that have its roots? And when you guys win
toe to toe in the shootout fifteen years.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Ago, I mean we did come out the same draft,
played against each other and the Xavier or Cincinnati shootout.
So you always want to beat somebody that you would
playing against, you know, basically your whole career. So and
then the Big Three is so personal. Everything is so close,
So that may have nothing to do with it.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Well, and it's it's half court, right, so you know
it's it's it's half the court. There's only a handful
of you. You're not gonna have teammates come and get
you off the bench. And so a fight in the
Big Three is different than a fight, let's say in
a five on five NBA or college basketball game.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, I mean everything is a little different because the
three on three dynamic everything. You can the fans, that's
what's exciting about the Big Three for the fans. You
can almost see those things coming. So you right up
close and the excitement is now stop.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
You mentioned earlier this year you went into the Hall
of Fame. Exavier obviously very well deserved programs in a
transition phase. How closely in recent years have you followed
XU basketball.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Well, I'm following it. I've been following it real close. Mario,
you know, he really keeps Mario mccurrey. He really keeps
me up with everything that's going on and just watching
the players. They had a great team last year and
they could have you know, couldn't get over to Hump,
played a lot of good teams that they lost to.
But you know, I always follow It's hard not to,
you know, I had so many you know that being
(03:36):
at Xavier for those two years really decided which path
I was going to go in my career. So Xavier
is an important place to.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
What I think of you and when a lot of
people think of you. The first image that comes to
mind is of the Kansas State Game, which is one
of the great college basketball games of all time. And
I know you guys didn't win it, but Sweet sixteen
twenty ten, you hit the shot from nearly half court
to send the game to double overtime. Obviously it's easier
to talk about if you would have won. It's hard
(04:05):
to believe it's been a decade and a half. But
what comes to mind when you think of that night.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
The thing that what comes to mind is how close
he was to play Butler. Again, that's something that that
that hurts me all the time. But uh, it was
just it was just kind of you it's hard to
look at the game. Did you see a couple of
players where it could have changed, and just knowing the
impact they had on on all the recruits and people
(04:34):
after that for a long lasting time that I didn't
know how big of a game it was, you know,
and it was like the only game on the last
game on that day, So the effect that had following
was surprising to me. I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
I'm sure like you did, you wouldn't want to hear
this right after the game, but like all these many
years later, it has to be cool that people still
talk about that game and that shan yeah, yeah, I
mean the.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Bar stories out here where people was at that is
the that's the most exciting part, just knowing how when
people come up and tell me how the places they were,
how they reacted when I hit the shot. So that's
the fact that people still talk about it like it
happened two three years ago or something is amazing.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
What is your your fondest memory of your time playing
in xavior.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Nca Tournament is one that whole season just you know,
the expectation, especially after Lebron situation, the expectation that was
on me, and how we how we grew throughout the
season and got better. But even my sitout year, I remember,
you know, when charn Miller was coaching, the team had
made it to number seventh in the country after beating Cincinnati,
(05:48):
and I just remember, like Dan, this is a big
time program. So just all those memories of how much
of a basketball college it was.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
So you mentioned something that I would have imagine perhaps
younger listeners are not familiar with that when you dunked
on Lebron James. That was a really big deal. And
there was the whole thing with the tapes. Were they confiscated,
were they not confiscated? There's video on YouTube. We could
talk about this now, like, what what was it like
at that stage in your life you dunk on Lebron
(06:17):
James and it becomes a thing.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, I didn't, you didn't really, I didn't realize what
was happening. It was the first time. You know, I
was always considered like an underdog, So after that happened,
it was the first time being in that position of
like the spotlight. So that was that was kind of new.
But then just understanding what was to come, I mean,
(06:40):
the taking of the tapes and always kind of having
this this bullsey on your back from not just you know,
your peers, but even your employers. Just understanding that I'm
Joey Crawford, the guy that dunked on Bron that still
sticks with me to this day, even more than the
shot Exavier. So, and it was at Lebron's camp, right, Yes,
(07:03):
it was at Lebron's camp. It was the first day
of the camp, and it kind of blew up to proportion,
out of proportion where it was something that I couldn't
control and no one else on my side to control.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I mean, obviously your paths have crossed with Lebron James
a few times since. Has the dunk come up?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
No, the dunk never comes up. I mean it kind
of the duck kind of made it where every time
it was kind of awkward around Lebron because I was
always I was always trying to climb up hill and
you know, I didn't know what really happened behind the
scenes after that dunk, so I was kind of always
on edge a little bit.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
The Xavier Hall of Famer Jordan Crawford will be in
town on Saturday, the Big Three at the Heritage Bank
Arena at one o'clock. Jordan playing for the All New
La Riot. They have a three to two record, three
and two record coming into Saturday. You all so in
Detroit you own a speakeasy. Now, I love the concept
of a speakeasy. Tell me about this.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Well, it's a family owned business that we put together.
My two brothers and my mom and dad. We all
own it and we all created it. And it's a
coffee shop first and then it's a speakeasy in the middle,
and then we have a lounge in the back. And
we have had the We had President Joe Biden in there.
We had Tamala Harrison there, we have had IQ recently.
(08:30):
We have had a lot of people that come through
and been excited about the place. And it's been open
for a little under two years. Had the buildings in
twenty seventeen. But yeah, it's been very exciting in the
city of Detroit.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
I have to ask when you own an establishment like
that and you find out that the president of the
United States or the vice president of the United States
is going to stop by, how does that work?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Well, we had new We had new like four or
five days before, and then basically wasn't our building anymore.
The Secret Service owned it.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Now, when I think speak easy, I think like, you
gotta have a secret password to get in. Is that
how it works or is it more open to the public.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, yeah, we gotta. I mean it's open to the public,
but they need to know the password to get past
the coffee shop. All right, yeah, and the password but
were not high and that the password is having a
good day, trying to have a better night. Oh all right.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Well, when I'm in Detroit, I'm gonna I'm gonna remember that.
Enjoy your time in Cincinnati. It's it's been fun to
follow your career. It's gonna be cool to get a
chance to watch you back in town. Congratulations on making
Xaviers Hall of Fame and uh and continued success. Thanks
so much for doing.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
This means a lot. Appreciate that having me You got.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
A Jordan Crawford part of the Big Three. Saturday One
o'clock at the Heritage Bank Center. You can get tickets
at Big three dot com. Slash Tickets tip off at
one o'clock. Tony Pike Bengals training camp report next Cincinnati's
ESPN eighteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. At u See Health,
you'll find comprehensive care that's so personal it makes your
best tomorrow possible. That's boundless care for better outcomes. Expect
more at UCHealth dot com. On Alexandria Pike, there's an
accident at Louis b Nun Drive northbound seventy one. Another
accident at two seventy five that's got both shoulders blocked
(10:24):
off and on southbound seventy five approaching nor Would lateral
an accident on the right shoulder earlier crash cleared northbound
seventy five at Town. I'm at exelic with traffic.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
This report is
Mo Egger News
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com