Lou Williams believes his résumé gives him a strong case as the greatest sixth man in NBA history, although he acknowledges that Jamal Crawford belongs in the same conversation.
Williams and Crawford each won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award three times, making them two of the players most closely associated with the role.
The former NBA guard said personal preference can ultimately determine which player fans place ahead of the other.
“If you’re a fan of Jamal [Crawford], I think it’s fair for you to feel like he could be the best sixth man in your opinion. If you’re a Lou Will fan, I feel like it’s fair for you to think that I’m the best to ever do it. I got so much love and respect for Jamal. It can go either way. Listen, there are some days that I look at my highlights and I’m like, ‘I got it.’ And then there are some days I look at Jamal like, ‘Shit, man, I don’t know.’”
Despite that respect for Crawford, Williams is willing to make the case for himself. For him, the debate is about protecting what became a defining part of his NBA career.
“I’m also conflicted, but I fight for that because that’s my legacy, man. When you’re in the league and you do something and you do it at a high clip, you want to fight for your legacy. I don’t want to go 10 years down the line and people stop talking about Lou Will when it comes to the Sixth Man of the Year conversation because I’m too cool for school and I’m scared to fight for myself and speak up for my legacy and what I was able to accomplish in that position.”
Williams spent much of his career coming off the bench, and he views the amount of time he actually spent in that role as another important part of his argument.
While he continues to praise Crawford’s accomplishments, Williams ultimately gives himself the edge.
“I personally say it’s me because, again, that’s my legacy and that’s what it became. And, you know, I played more games off the bench than any of those guys. I literally was a sixth man for the majority of my career. I give myself that crown personally, but if I’m speaking as a fan, Jamal is my dog, and I never downplay anything that he did. But I always give myself that crown because that’s my legacy and I’m fighting for that.”
