Chris Johnson: The Trainer Behind the NBA's Biggest Stars

In this episode of The Checkin with Dwyane Wade, Dwyane, Bob, and Dorell Wright turn the spotlight on co-host Chris Johnson for part one of his full story.

Chris opens up about growing up in Waco, Texas with two supportive fathers, a mother who never said a negative word about his biological dad, and a grandfather named Shot Shot who ran a barbecue business and whistled from blocks away when the streetlights came on. He refused to change his last name at 10 because Magic Johnson was the coldest player he’d ever seen, and his mother used his child support checks to teach him banking and let him buy Jordans and Starter jackets.

He talks about getting subbed out at the park as a kid, training alone on his imagination, a coach who slid plays to him on index cards during history class, and deciding at 13 that if the pros didn’t work out he was going to be one of the best coaches in the game. He also covers rupturing his Achilles, watching 9/11 unfold helpless in his mother’s bed, earning a master’s in counseling at 22 with a 4.2 GPA, and coaching a 16-0 national championship football team before getting his real shot in basketball.

Music Credit: Khari Mateen.

What We Discussed: 

• 0:00 - Introduction

• 2:36 - The Family Height Debate and Genealogy

• 4:19 - Early Athletic Beginnings and Waco Roots

• 5:54 - Growing Up with Two Fathers in a Blue-Collar Home

• 8:01 - The Impact of a Mother’s Narrative

• 10:14 - Choosing Johnson and Financial Lessons from Child Support

• 14:55 - Discovering His Stepfather and Generation Photos

• 18:32 - Sharecropper Roots, Height, and Son Isaiah

• 21:44 - Texas Football Culture and Street Games

• 24:10 - Grandfather Shot Shot and Barbecue Business

• 26:42 - Overcoming Playground Rejection and Becoming Multi-Sport

• 31:40 - Instilling Work Ethic and the Ambition at 13

• 34:43 - Preacher Roots, Church Life, and Competitive Instincts

• 39:24 - Mentor Coach Dwayne Silver and the 13-Year-Old Promise

• 44:43 - VHS Highlight Tapes, Zone Defense, and High School Dominance

• 50:54 - The Achilles Injury and Transition to Graduate Assistant

• 52:15 - Loneliness, September 11th, and Critiques of College Systems

• 59:51 - Master’s in Counseling and Emotional Intelligence

• 1:02:06 - Coaching High School Football and Basketball in Texas

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