Why LeBron James’ appearance at Jamal Crawford’s CrawsOver Pro-Am was cut short

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With LeBron James headlining, the anticipation was at an all-time high for Jamal Crawford’s CrawsOver Pro-Am on Saturday.

Fans began lining up hours in advance of James’ game, in which he would be joined by a group of NBA players that included All-Stars Dejounte Murray and Jayson Tatum, as well as high-profile rookies Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren. Basically, an all-star game was set to take place on the campus of Seattle Pacific University.

James’ entrance to the gym was a visual reminder of the command he has as one of the biggest stars in the world.

MORE: A look back at LeBron James’ pro-am history

Why LeBron James’ appearance at the CrawsOver Pro-Am was cut short

Usually, the statement of someone “shutting down” a pro-am comes with a highlight package and stats but here, it takes on a literal meaning as the game was called in the second quarter due to player safety concerns related to condensation on the court.

Crawford later took to Twitter to apologize to the fans that couldn’t get in and thank the players that participated, adding that “I had to make the decision to stop the game to protect the players.”

Despite the fact that the game didn’t make it to halftime, Tatum found a way to provide plenty of highlights, scoring a quick 20 points on the night. While resharing his highlights on Twitter, Tatum said “(I) hate it had to end that way,” while promising to bring his son, Deuce, the next time he’s there.

Somehow, James and Tatum were on the same team, making for an unfair pro-am pairing that managed to give us one highlight before things ended.

LeBron came through with an individual highlight of his own, too.

While the game’s early ending was unfortunate, the event was a win on multiple levels.

14 years after the SuperSonics’ departure from the Pacific Northwest, the city of Seattle was again the undisputed center of attention in the NBA world.

Isaiah Thomas, a native of Tacoma, Wash., made sure to share just how big of a moment had transpired.

Rockets rookie and Seattle native Tari Eason saw a “lifelong dream” come true months before playing in his first NBA game.

James has yet to speak out after his appearance at the CrawsOver but beforehand, he made sure to express his excitement to get back on the floor in Seattle for the first time in over 15 years.

With NBA training camps just weeks away, there may not be many more appearances made at pro-am leagues. If there are, let’s hope the next “shut down” is one of the good variety.

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