Max Christie, a 22-year-old shooting guard, has had an eventful career in the NBA since being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 35th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. Previously playing for Michigan State, Christie has transitioned into the professional league with notable performances. This season, he averaged 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.7 three-pointers made per game in 29.3 minutes as a starter. However, a significant trade sent him from Los Angeles to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic. Now, Christie is preparing for a return to Los Angeles, eager to face his former team and view it as a "homecoming game."
Christie's move to Dallas has been met with success. In eight games with the Mavericks, he is averaging 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc in 32.6 minutes per game. His standout performance came on February 8, when he scored a season-high 23 points in a victory over Houston. Christie has consistently scored at least 15 points in every game with the Mavericks, save for one.
Despite his professional achievements, Christie experienced emotional challenges after his unexpected trade. Reflecting on the moment he received the news, he said:
“The emotions at that moment obviously were pretty overwhelming. And then going back to the hotel room, I got zero seconds of sleep that night. I was up from 12 [a.m.] to 8:15 [a.m.]. I had a flight the next morning at 8:30 to go to Dallas. I was in denial a little bit, at first. I can’t believe this is happening…” – Max Christie
The magnitude of the trade impacted him significantly:
“If you look at the magnitude of that trade, it magnifies that emotion. So, I was shocked, man. I was on the floor in the hotel room for two hours just thinking about what was going on.” – Max Christie
Christie's mother, Katrina, is a licensed psychologist who specializes in mental health. Her influence has made Christie a strong advocate for mental well-being. During the All-Star Break, he returned to his hometown of Chicago to mentally regroup:
“I needed it for sure, a lot. And it grounded me,” – Max Christie
He used this time to reset and not worry about his professional circumstances:
“It was good to kind of get a reset and not really worry about everything that was going on with all the moving parts I have over there.” – Max Christie
Spending quality time with his closest family members provided him with much-needed respite:
“But it was good to just relax for a sec, take a deep breath, be able to spend time with the three people that are closest to me and the three people that mean the most to me in my life.” – Max Christie
He emphasized the importance of remaining present and grounded in his journey:
“It was reinforcing what I already know, which is being where your feet are, be present and be yourself unapologetically. Believe in God. Give glory to God. That has helped me a lot on this journey.” – Max Christie
Now comfortably settled in Dallas, Christie is focused on contributing to his team's success:
“So far, I’ve had a good job just kind of settling in and just trying to stay present. That’s the biggest thing for me is just being present here, trying to help this team win games.” – Max Christie
Christie remains optimistic about the Mavericks' potential once key players regain full strength:
“All our bigs, Gaff, Lively, Powell, A.D., our defense is going to be unbelievable.” – Max Christie
He anticipates their defensive prowess will challenge opposing teams:
“Teams aren’t going to be able to get shots up at the rim because we have so much length in the paint. And then, A.D., obviously offensively, we know what he’s capable of.” – Max Christie
As he prepares for his upcoming matchup against the Lakers, Christie clarifies his motivations:
“I’m not even looking at this game as a ‘revenge game,’” – Max Christie
Instead, he views it as an opportunity for personal growth and performance against his former team.
Max Christie's brother, Cam, is also making strides in professional basketball as a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers. This adds another layer of personal connection as Christie returns to Los Angeles.
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