You know about the multiple 50-point games, the killer crossover, the game-winning shots, the nine NBA seasons without a playoff game, and you know that when Aaron Jamal Crawford is hot, he’s unstoppable. What you may not know is that Crawford has a huge heart, and he’s wasted no time sharing it with the city of Atlanta.

He’s only been here for a handful of months and he’s already had two charity events. He first hosted the BIG event, which benefits Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta.

“I grew up in the YMCA and Boys and Girls clubs and I probably spent more time there than at home,” said Crawford. “I was there all the time and I think they do a good job of keeping kids off the streets.”

He also hosted the Giving Tree (which benefits the Atlanta Housing Authority) at Lenox Mall in Buckhead.

“This is something I’ve done every year for the last four years,” said Crawford of the event. “It’s something that I hope more people step up and do because these kids are doing really well in school and they may not have the best Christmas, but hopefully we can make it a little better.”

So far Crawford is loving life with the Hawks. Although he’s coming off the bench for the first time in a long time, he’s the Hawks’ second-leading scorer and it seems he hasn’t missed a beat.

“I think I can play with anybody and I can fit in anywhere,” said Crawford. “I can be productive whether I’m viewed as the main guy or not. I think I’m important to the team and hopefully we can continue to win.”

Crawford can’t help but acknowledge that this Hawks team gives him the best shot he’s ever had at making the playoffs.

“The first thing I was thinking when I came here is they can really help me get to the playoffs and hopefully I can help them go further,” said Crawford. “I thought we could be a really good team, and that’s what we’ve been so far. We’ll see what happens.”

Read more from C.C. at http://coco-vents.blogspot.com. She can be reached at cfelicec@yahoo.com.