Chris Johnson played for the Javelina men's basketball team from 1999-01 and embarked on a journey that brought him to the forefront of many nationally-renowned professional basketball players across the country.
With the NBA Finals in full swing, Chris shares his experience when he donned the Blue and Gold and what life has been like since he finished up at Javelina Nation.
Why did you choose to attend Texas A&M-Kingsville?
I had a few offers at the time, and Johnny [Estelle] had just taken a position with the team and it came down to St. Edward's, Midwestern State and a few other schools. Johnny, being my first cousin, said there was no way I was going to any of these other schools and wanted me to come to TAMUK. So I came down to visit and met [head coach] Pete Peterson, who I'm still close with over the years, and when I got to the campus it was so beautiful and sunny, and from there it was lights out. Coming in they had a few guys who I knew personally, but with Johnny, Buzz [Williams] and Coach Peterson, it was a no-brainer for me.
What is your favorite Javelina memory?
One of my best memories, our football team at the time was number one in the nation and my best friend came to school here named Glenn Jones. Glenn was an All-American for the football team, and we went to junior high and high school together before we became roommates at Kingsville. Glenn had a brother, Richard Jones, who played professionally for the Indianapolis Colts, so my memories of just going to the game and watching how dominant our football team was, going to the tailgates which were amazing, and the overall environment was great.
What have you been up to since you left Kingsville?
When I graduated I was at a crossroad about what I wanted to do with my career after I got my bachelor's degree. I wanted to play professionally but couldn't so at that time Coach Peterson and Buzz asked me to come back and be a graduate assistant coach. So I came back and got my master's degree, so from there I decided I wanted to really learn how to coach so I took a head high school job in Houston at La Marque High School, which had the top football team in the country at the time. I ended up changing the whole program around and won a few Coach of the Year awards before I took another job at Clear Springs High School. At Clear Springs I was developing Division I kids as well as NBA players so I was doing three jobs in one, so from there I was able to get my first NBA job with the Houston Rockets and part of my stint was to work in the development league with the RGV Vipers as an assistant coach. While I was in the Valley I started my family and we moved to Los Angeles and I opened up the top player development company in the world where I work with a lot of players you see on television today.
What is something most people don't know about you?
My entrepreneurship, I think a lot of people focus on the basketball piece of it and for me, once I've mastered a certain level, I want to expand the business. From owning my own business to creating a brand, creating a product or something that's tangible. I think my entrepreneur skills can be overshadowed with what I've done in the basketball world, so I would love to be looked at as not just a dominant basketball guy but an entrepreneur and a life coach, a mentor. Getting my master's in counseling was all part of the plan so being able to have an impact on someone's life is important to me.
Do you still keep in contact with your teammates?
I'm the source, I keep everybody together. So if something's going on I'm the one who pulls everyone together. If someone needs to get ahold of somebody else they come to me, and that's how Johnny is with his group in this era. So between us we cover two or three eras of basketball players from this program.
How has your time as a Javelina prepared you for life after college?
I don't know if I would be where I'm at today if I didn't go through that entire process at Kingsville. I could've chosen other schools, but you can't change something and expect the same outcome. From staying in the dorms I remember my first day moving in, to going to the rec center where everybody used to hang out, from my first time hanging out in my first apartment, something you think those things aren't important but they really are. It's all part of the process, our supporters, the professors in the classrooms, the tailgates, to everyone on the team.
What advice do you have for current Javelinas?
To embrace their journey. One thing I've learned is you can't catch any fish watching someone else's pole. Don't focus on what anyone else is doing, just focus on where you are and how impactful you can be in that community. It's not about the name, it's not about where you think you should be, you have to stay in the moment and dominate where you are. Represent not only yourself, but the alumni and the legacy others have left behind. You're in a situation bigger than you, you have to finish your degree and strive for greatness.
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