Chris Childs (born November 20, 1967) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player, who played primarily at the

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

position.

Early basketball career

Childs played his high school basketball at Foothill High School and starred at

Boise State University Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It became a publ ...

in the late 1980s. Childs was the

Big Sky Conference The Big Sky Conference (BSC) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the eigh ...

Player of the Year in 1989. Despite his collegiate success, Childs went undrafted in the

1989 NBA Draft The 1989 NBA draft took place on June 27, 1989, in New York City. Despite eight of the top ten picks being considered busts, including the first two picks Pervis Ellison and Danny Ferry, the draft produced many talented players such as Shawn K ...

and began his professional career in the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...

. He played for three different teams in his first three seasons in the league, but eventually found a home with the

Quad City Thunder The Quad City Thunder was a Continental Basketball Association franchise that was based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. They played in the CBA from the 1987–88 season until the CBA folded in 2001. The Thunder were successful on the co ...

. With the Thunder, Childs won a league title and the Continental Basketball Association MVP award in 1994 after averaging 17.9 points and 7.6 assists. According to

owner Anne Potter DeLong's obituary on ''QCOnline'', Childs struggled with alcoholism during his time in the

. Childs went to DeLong for help at which point she called former NBA player

George Gervin George Gervin ( ; born April 27, 1952), nicknamed "the Iceman", is an American former professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Virginia Squires, ...

who facilitated Childs' admittance to a rehab facility in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. The clinic was run by retired NBA player

John Lucas II John Harding Lucas II (born October 31, 1953) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played basketball and tennis at the Un ...

NBA career

Childs' success in the minor leagues proved to be his ticket to the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

, as he signed with the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

prior to the start of the 1994–95 NBA season. He spent his first two seasons with the Nets, and averaged an NBA career-high 12.8 points in 1995–96. However, Childs was perhaps best remembered for his five-year (1996–2001) tenure with the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

, who relied on his tight defense and streaky three-point shooting ability during their perennial runs to the NBA Playoffs. It was during this time that Childs helped lead the New York Knicks to the NBA Eastern Conference championship in 1999. He led the team in assists (6.1 per game) as a starter during the 1996–97 season, and was a valuable contributor off the bench during his next four years with the team. A visible figure in the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

media, he also represented the Knicks on the 1998–99 NBA All-Interview Team and won the New York Press Photographers Association's 2000 "Good Guy Award" for his involvement with several charities and youth basketball programs. On April 2, 2000 he had a fight with

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...

in the late 3rd quarter. The Fight has been deemed to show the toughness of The Knicks during that era. At 4 inches shorter than Bryant, Childs punched him from the chin into his throat. Childs was ejected from the game. The Knicks did not win the game. In February 2001, Childs was traded to the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

for Mark Jackson and

Muggsy Bogues Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues (born January 9, 1965) is a former American basketball player. The shortest player ever to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Bogues played point guard for four teams during his 14-season caree ...

, with whom he played for one-and-a-half seasons before rejoining the Nets in 2002. During that season, on October 22, 2002, Childs was suspended by the team indefinitely for not being in playing shape. Coincidentally, that same day, Childs was held up at gunpoint by three men outside a Manhattan restaurant owned by Sean Combs. Police say the alleged thieves made off with approximately $30,000 in cash and jewelry. Childs then retired after the 2002–03 season.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Childs, Chris 1967 births Living people African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Canada American men's basketball players Bakersfield Jammers players Basketball players from Bakersfield, California Boise State Broncos men's basketball players Columbus Horizon players La Crosse Catbirds players New Jersey Nets players New York Knicks players Point guards Quad City Thunder players Rapid City Thrillers players Rockford Lightning players Toronto Raptors players Undrafted National Basketball Association players United States Basketball League players 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople