For Jason Crowe Jr., it was always Inglewood

Jason Crowe Sr. really didn’t know what to expect when he noticed a gang member approaching him in South Los Angeles during the global pandemic. Crowe was on an outdoor court preparing his youth basketball team — including his 12-year-old son Jason Crowe Jr. — for practice.

He’d seen the man before, among the group of people who gathered — socially distanced, of course — each Tuesday to watch the Inglewood kids play.

But the two had never spoken … until this moment.

“Where were you guys last week?” the gang member asked.

Crowe Sr., slightly surprised, told him they had taken that week off.

“I was watching this one right here and he’s been entertaining us,” Crowe Sr. recalls the man telling him as he pointed to his son. “I told my friends about him, and we had a barbecue last week and wanted to watch him because there’s nothing else going on. That kid, that lefty, he’s going to the NBA.”

That kid, Crowe Jr. — who just completed his senior season at Inglewood High School — is indeed special:

• His 4,718 career points are the most in California high school basketball history.

• His 43.6 points per game average in his senior year ranked second in the nation.

• His 48 points at the prestigious Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, in January was the best scoring game in that tournament’s 24-year history.

Beyond his basketball talents, what was also impressive about Crowe Jr.’s path to becoming a 2026 national player of the year finalist was his commitment to his community.

Crowe Jr. — also known as J2 — ignored lavish offers by some of the nation’s most storied private schools and sports academies to remain home and help put a spotlight on the Inglewood community that raised him.

“Everything I need is in Inglewood, so why leave?” Crowe Jr. explained. “This is home. And when we come back 20, 30 years from now with our kids, I hope people remember me, remember this team and remember the journey.”

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It’s Tuesday evening in Inglewood. And in a city that days before hosted tens of thousands of people for NBA All-Star Weekend, an aging high school gym finds itself the center of attention.

Band members and cheerleaders get themselves in position as a near-capacity crowd pours into the building. Directly across the floor and behind the Inglewood bench, there’s a giveaway underway as J2’s mother, Irene, helps with the distribution of posters, framed photos and handheld fans, all adorned with her son’s image.

These extras aren’t dispensed to be someone’s home decor — they are meant to be seen.

Tonight.

And throughout a game in which Crowe Jr.’s 45 points powered an Inglewood win, those images were in constant motion.

“I have my people, my family — over 20 of them — right behind our bench supporting me every game,” Crowe Jr. says. “I wouldn’t have had any of this had I gone anywhere else.”

The bleachers weren’t the only setting for game day family reunions at Inglewood High games this season — the Sentinels’ bench, occupied by three generations of Crowes, was also a family affair.

Kenneth Crowe, J2’s grandfather, is a former Inglewood High School principal who returned to the school as an assistant coach.

That opportunity was provided by Crowe Sr. — Kenneth’s son, J2’s dad — who was Inglewood’s coach the past two seasons. Crowe Sr. represents some of the glory days of Inglewood boys’ basketball, winning a CIF Southern Section title alongside Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce in the early1990s.

“Paul Pierce, Reggie Theus, Jason Hart — Inglewood High School over the years has produced some great players,” said Crowe Sr., who played 13 years professionally after college. “Now my son is part of that legacy because each time he gets honored as one of the nation’s top players, they mention Inglewood. And that makes me proud.”

There’s a day in Crowe Jr.’s development that stands out for his father. As he directed his son through a series of shooting drills, Crowe Sr. noticed a parks and recreation employee shooting video.

“I’m thinking to myself, ‘What is he doing?’” Crowe Sr. said. “And then I realized that he was filming his shot release because his form was so perfect.”

He knew his son was good. But he didn’t realize how special he was until his freshman year of high school, when Crowe Jr., playing for his father at Lynwood High School (about 12 miles southeast of Inglewood), finished the 2022-23 season averaging 36 points per game while leading a team with five freshmen starters to its first basketball state title in 47 years.

Crowe Jr. exploded on the California high school basketball scene, making a name for himself as a smooth-shooting southpaw who reminded basketball observers of Brandon Jennings, the 2009 NBA first-round pick who was raised in nearby Compton.

“He was 5-9, young, skinny, with no physical advantage, and he was cooking everybody,” Crowe Sr. said. “If you looked at him, he wasn’t physically gifted and had that babyface, kind of like a young Steph Curry.”

Crowe Jr’s scoring improved as a sophomore (37.4 points per game) in a season that ended with a playoff loss in which he scored 47 points.

When his father took the coaching job at Inglewood, Crowe Jr. followed. By the time he arrived, that 5-foot-9, babyfaced assassin had grown up, and he now measures 6-4, 170 pounds. With the physical maturation came a steely-eyed determination and mindset to dominate every opponent he faces.

“Off the court, he’s a jokester and at times he can be goofy,” said Cayim White, an Inglewood reserve guard who was first teammates with Crowe Jr. when they were both 7 years old. “But he has an on-off switch, and when it’s on, he has a look in his eyes that he’s going to destroy everybody.”

That seek-and-destroy mentality translated to the tougher division Crowe Jr. played in when he transferred to Inglewood. It took him just three games to record his first 40-point game at his new school, and he finished his junior season averaging 35.3 points per game while leading Inglewood to a 26-7 record.

Perhaps what’s most impressive about Crowe Jr.’s game is while he’s a high-volume scorer, he’s also a willing passer, racking up 5.9 assists per game in his effort to make sure his teammates were well fed.

He’s hoping the media attention he garnered these past two seasons has created recruiting looks for teammates such as senior guard Matthew Gibbs-Martinez, who averaged 9.5 points and was named to the All-Ocean League second team; and junior guard David Conerly, who averaged 19.6 points and 7.4 rebounds while earning first-team all-league honors.

“It would be selfish to just think about myself out there,” said Crowe Jr., who is signed to play at Missouri next season. “My college career is set, but a lot of my teammates are looking to get opportunities and I’m doing my best to help make that happen.”

An example of how Inglewood’s basketball team is forced to do more with less comes during a team stretch during a late-season practice. Three minutes into the YouTube video showing the stretching routine, there’s a minute-long interruption by an advertisement for a workflow app.

Ad-free YouTube Premium? That’s added cost for a school short on funds. There’s no fancy weight room. No team meeting room. The possession arrow during games is a screwdriver.

Heck, Inglewood isn’t even located on its own campus, which is being bulldozed as part of a $240 million rebuilding project. Inglewood High School now resides at the old Morningside High School, which closed for good last year due to declining enrollment.

Not having state-of-the-art workout facilities forces Crowe Sr. to be creative. That’s why the players, during the course of the season, would occasionally find themselves working out on Eldred Street in Northeast Los Angeles.

Eldred is no ordinary road: It’s a combination of street and stairs with a 33 percent grade making it the steepest street in California, and the third steepest street in the nation.

“Those are the challenges of public schools everywhere,” Crowe Sr. said. “You just have to make do with what you have.”

Crowe Jr. is an example of achieving success with less. He’s earned a long list of accolades, including the 2026 Gatorade California Player of the Year Award, and is one of three finalists for Gatorade National Player of the Year.

He’ll also play in the 2026 McDonald’s All American Game (Tuesday, March 31, at 9 p.m. ET, ESPN) as one of the nation’s top 24 high school players.

“There are thousands of people playing high school basketball right now, and I’m one of few that gets a chance to play in the McDonald’s All American Game,” said Crowe Jr., who was awarded his All American Game jersey during a ceremony at the school last month. “It’s a prestigious game, so to be a part of it means a lot.”

Through all the notoriety and fame, Crowe is still a kid. He tosses his shoes into a pile — and with all the freebies he gets, it’s a large one — next to his bed, he enjoys video games and he still finds time during most days to get in a power nap.

“He never stopped being a normal guy,” said White, his teammate and longtime friend. “Very humble, and he’s stayed the same since we were 7 years old.”

Which is all the more reason why Inglewood has embraced its native son, with the mayor recently acknowledging Crowe Jr. during a ceremony in the city council chambers.

“Inglewood is such a unique city, a small town surrounded by a big place,” Crowe Sr. said, referencing the greater Los Angeles area. “I’ve always felt at home here. My son’s only home has been here. This place is our family.”

As Sentinels worked toward their goal for the season of winning a CIF title, Inglewood games became a destination for current and former NBA stars. Paul Pierce (who claims J2 as his nephew), Jayson Tatum, Trevor Ariza and Rajon Rondo were among the stars to witness the resurgence of Inglewood High.

Amid all the attention, fans and team success, Crowe Jr. — who signed his first name, image and likeness deal before he had his driver’s license — remained accessible.

He honored every request for photos and selfies. 

Answered every question from reporters.

He probably would have kissed babies, if asked.

All the while, he embarked upon a historic senior season that had many highlights, including becoming the first player in the history of California high school basketball to score 4,000 career points.

“It was a fun season to watch and be a part of,” said Chris White, Cayim White’s father and a former Inglewood teammate of Crowe Sr. and Pierce. “I hadn’t been to a game in years. Hopefully this run puts them on the cusp of rebuilding this program.”

On the eve of the playoffs, Crowe Jr. sat in a nearly empty Inglewood gym and reflected on the successful regular season that was behind him, and the challenges that were ahead.

“There’s a lot that I’ve accomplished in my high school career, but we’re at a point where you lose one game and it’s over,” he said. “As a senior, I’d like to end my high school career just like I started: winning a state championship.”

Winning a state title, for Inglewood, would mean winning four games over a stretch of 10 days against the top programs in California’s Division I.

A bad omen on the first day of the state tournament: travel issues during the team’s 50-mile ride to Damien High School in the San Gabriel Valley, causing a delay and cutting into the team’s on-site prep, a valuable resource given the challenge of facing the No. 6 Spartans on the road.

Damien, an all-boys Catholic school with money and resources, had too many weapons. While Crowe Jr. scored 34 points, the Spartans were dominant in an 84-65 victory.

“There were 32 teams in our bracket, and I would say the overwhelming majority of them had a chance to legitimately win the state championship,” Crowe Sr. said. “My goal coming here was to bring this team up to Division I and be competitive. We were able to do that. I’m proud of my son.”

Now it’s time for Crowe Jr. to leave his comfort zone.

The house he’s lived in his entire life. The restaurants and corner stores in Inglewood where he became a regular. The longtime friendships he established in a tight-knit community.

The next stop: Columbia, Missouri, where Crowe Jr. will suit up next season as the University of Missouri’s highest-rated recruit since NBA lottery pick Michael Porter Jr. signed there in 2017.

“There aren’t many players at any level that are as skilled of a scorer as he is,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates said when Crowe Jr. signed in November 2025. “We can’t wait to welcome him to our Mizzou family next season.”

Even though Crowe Jr. is leaving Inglewood, he won’t be completely homesick. His family is relocating to Columbia as well, with Crowe Sr. accepting a job as a Missouri assistant coach.

“Having my dad there will be great,” Crowe Jr. said. “I wouldn’t be half as good as I am today if it wasn’t for him pushing me in games and off the court.”

During the pandemic five years ago, a gang member in South L.A. predicted Jason Crowe Jr. was “going to the NBA.”

As Crowe Jr. embarks on his college career, we’re about to find out whether he was right.

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