Q&A with Jae Crowder: He says joining the Milwaukee Bucks will give him opportunity to win at high level

Jae Crowder got into Milwaukee over the weekend and had his first practice with the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday afternoon at the Sports Science Center, after which the Marquette University alumnus met for the first time with local reporters.

Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said the 32-year-old forward will not play Tuesday against Boston or Thursday in Chicago, which means he may not make his debut until after the all-star break. The Bucks' first game after that is Feb. 24 against Miami at Fiserv Forum.

Here is a edited transcript of Crowder's question-and-answer session with Milwaukee reporters:

How does it feel to be with the Milwaukee Bucks?

It's everything, obviously I’m very grateful for this opportunity to come in a locker room with already a great team and just add on to that. I think it’s great for me, we just said, just add on to what’s already a great team and great locker room.

My first day with the guys here was unbelievably great, a great welcome. It’s a family-oriented organization and I’m very happy to be here.

You sat out this season to date rather than play for Phoenix. What happened?

I just feel like it’s behind me now. We had some stuff happen internally that they asked me to keep inside, so I’m going to grant their wishes.

Obviously I’ve been working with these guys for a trade partner for months now. I think give or take they did exactly what they said they was gonna do. Took longer than what we all expected but it got done.

I’m thankful for my time in Phoenix, I’m thankful for my teammates, I’m thankful for the organization embracing me the past two years – we had a great run and we did some great things in Phoenix and we turned their culture around. So I’m happy for those guys. I wish them luck moving forward. I’m moving on to my next chapter in my career here in Milwaukee.

More:What Jae Crowder’s acquisition means for the Milwaukee Bucks

More:Jae Crowder's saga in Phoenix is over. Here's what we know about his last six months with the Suns

Some elements of this process are out of your control, but where did Milwaukee fit into any requests you had of a destination?

I think the Milwaukee ... the clash of two sides came together a little, like a month after conversations with the team, I think the talk started to pick up. But I was totally letting Phoenix do whatever they felt best.

They did ask me for a couple, handful of teams that I preferred to go to and I was appreciative of that. I did not want to go to a rebuild. Obviously at this point in my career I think I laid the foundation of being a winner in this league and I’d like to keep doing that. And I just wanted to give myself an opportunity to just win at a high level.

I think that was my main goal to the front office. I didn’t say I want to go to this team or this team or this team, I just wanted to give myself a chance to continue to win in this league. I think Phoenix understood that, and they were appreciative of what I brought to their team and that’s all I can ask for when it comes to this business of basketball.

What was it about Milwaukee that appealed to you?

It was three factors for me. It was obviously a continuing winning team. I felt like I could add on to that. It was having a role on a team.

And I think people don't know I'm closer to my daughter. I have a 9-year old daughter (Jada), she stays in Chicago. I was OK with coming out here to the Midwest because I wanted to be closer to her, be a better father. I was trying to be the best father I could with being a professional athlete on the West Coast.

So, I just wanted to be closer to my child, but obviously, basketball was No. 1. Being a part of a winning culture and a part of a good team and having a role was my checked boxes of where I wanted to be next.

Did you almost head onto Marquette's campus by accident when you first arrived?

Funny story, I landed here and I took a joyride. I dropped my family off at the hotel for a little bit and I just took a ride down memory lane. I went to see where I used to stay at. I rolled through the town, through campus. I just embraced it and took it all in.

I think it's full circle for me in my life. Here we are 12 years later, 11 years later, I'm back where it all started for myself and this journey.

That played a major factor too. Sorry to leave that out. The other part of my list was being able to be around some fans that really embraced me and that's my Marquette family. Through ups and downs, they've always been there. Through all the different teams I've played for, they've always been supportive and I've always felt that and I'm grateful for that.

How did you try to stay in condition during this time off?

Just run myself ragged. Try to make myself throw up. Try to do everything you could think of, more. Even when I get tried, try to push more.

I turned down, Georgia Tech was a great home for me at the time of this. They offered me to play with those guys. I just didn’t want to risk anything – a twisted ankle or a minor setback for whenever the call happened. I kindly turned that down.

Same with my Marquette family. Coach Shaka Smart, he invited me to come down with the guys, but I didn’t feel right internally to do that. I felt a minor setback would push me back even further once the call came.

I turned it down kindly and just tried to do more. Whatever it is, some days more than other. Some days I’m really making myself throw up. Some days, my trainer has to tell me, all right, that’s enough. I always felt like I didn’t want to leave the gym feeling I could do more. I wanted to exhaust all my physical attributes and try to be as ready as possible.

I just played 5 on 5 for the first time in months. I kind of shocked myself. I was talking to the trainers. My lungs are where they need to be. My legs are heavy. That’s like we all expected that. I feel like I laid a great foundation. It’s just being able to just push forward. I don’t have to set a foundation while I’m here. I’m already set. I’ve just got to continue to climb and get my conditioning where it needs to be.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New Bucks player Jae Crowder about his return to Milwaukee