Raiders' Maxx Crosby names NBA legends he wants to emulate

During a recent appearance on "The Jim Rome Show," Las Vegas Raiders Pro Bowl pass-rusher Maxx Crosby suggested he wants a playing career similar to those enjoyed by NBA legends Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan and doesn't want to feature for several teams, as has LeBron James and others.

"The guys who inspire me are the Kobes and the Jordans; the guys that stayed at the same place and won in the same place," Crosby explained, according to Christian Gonzales of the NFL's website. "No offense to the guys like LeBron and those dudes — I won't give them some heat, but they took the easier road traveled and that's not the way I look at it."

Bryant played only for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 through the 2015-16 season, while Jordan guided the Chicago Bulls to six championships during the 1990s. 

Meanwhile, James famously left the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2010 to join the Miami Heat. He accumulated two rings with the Heat, won a third title with the Cavaliers in 2016 and then claimed a fourth career championship with the Lakers in 2020.

As for Crosby, the Raiders have been his only NFL home since the 2019 draft. He is signed through the 2026 season, but Gonzales noted that the 26-year-old has no guaranteed money attached to his current deal beyond the upcoming campaign.

"Going through the ups and downs and the hardships is going to make it that much sweeter when I do win a Super Bowl," Crosby continued. "So, I plan on being here for a very long time and I plan on winning here. You know when I signed that contract, I didn't have any type of, you know, thought of leaving or idea of leaving. I feel like I'm going to be a Raider for life."

Crosby is an outspoken leader with the Raiders who played with a lingering knee injury this past fall and could've requested a trade had Las Vegas not given former interim head coach Antonio Pierce the full-time job this offseason. As of early Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Raiders' over/under win total for the 2024 season at just 6.5.

Crosby's future with the Raiders could become an interesting talking point if the club misses the playoffs for a third straight year.