▁was ▁ 3 , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁raised ▁by ▁his ▁mother ▁in ▁Har vey , ▁Illinois , ▁a ▁Chicago ▁sub urb . ▁C raw ford ' s ▁a unt ▁M ita ▁married ▁former ▁NBA ▁player ▁Ron ▁Carter , ▁and ▁C raw ford ▁usually ▁spent ▁his ▁sum mers ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁California ▁with ▁the ▁two , ▁playing ▁in ▁basketball ▁cam ps . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 0 , ▁his ▁mother ▁decided ▁that ▁he ▁should ▁move ▁in ▁with ▁Carter , ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁keep ▁his ▁son ▁away ▁from ▁a ▁life ▁of ▁pover ty . ▁ ▁C raw ford ▁attended ▁West chester ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁players ▁of ▁the ▁team ▁together ▁with ▁Z an ▁Mason , ▁a ▁Par ade ▁All - American ▁and ▁highly ▁ranked ▁prospect ▁who ▁would ▁later ▁play ▁for ▁U CLA . ▁C raw ford ▁entered ▁the ▁starting ▁five ▁at ▁West chester ▁in ▁his ▁fresh man ▁year , ▁after ▁a ▁particularly ▁good ▁performance ▁against ▁Cr ens h aw , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁high ▁school ▁basketball ▁teams ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁C raw ford ▁and ▁Mason ▁led ▁West chester , ▁and ▁C raw ford ▁was ▁named ▁in ▁the ▁All - City ▁team ▁twice . ▁In ▁his ▁junior ▁season ▁he ▁aver aged ▁ 1 7 . 4 ▁points ▁and ▁ 8 . 6 ▁ass ists ▁per ▁game ; ▁in ▁that ▁same ▁year , ▁his ▁a unt ▁M ita ▁and ▁Carter ▁divor ced , ▁and ▁he ▁refused ▁to ▁move ▁with ▁Carter ▁in ▁Sh erman ▁O