Max Christie's Parents Were Basketball Players Who Now Keep Him Grounded

Max Christie's parents have been their son's "backbone" as he has continued to make impressive strides in the NBA. While he is the most well-known Christie, Max comes from a family of talented basketball players, from his parents to his younger brother.

Before joining the star-studded Lakers team, Max was a top-rated high school basketball player and finished his high school career with more than 2,000 points scored, having led his high school team to a league title and winning a gold medal while representing his country.

However, off the court, his dad— who is a skillful shooter— and his mom— whose post moves are better than his, Max said— treat their son like any other teenager. While cheering him on from the stands, Cormac (Max) Sr. and Katrina Christie ensure that family, faith, and school work come first.

Max Christie's Parents Are Both Former Basketball Players

Before becoming parents to a basketball prodigy, Cormac and Katrina were basketball prodigies themselves. Cormac was a point guard who scored more than 2,000 points combined at Parkland College and Wisconsin-Superior. Katrina, at 6-foot-2, surpassed 1,000 points at Northwestern.

Cormac and Katrina welcomed their son, the Lakers' number 10 guard, on February 10, 2003. Cormac, now a pilot, revealed that while he doesn't play basketball anymore, he still enjoys shooting with his sons.

According to Max, he rarely gets the chance to versus his mom, a clinical psychologist, on the basketball court. However, that hasn't stopped him from catching a glimpse of her talent. He said:

"My dad is an amazing shooter, still to this day. He can probably still outshoot me. My mom and me don't really play, but she's a great post-player. Her post moves are better than mine."

Although the former basketball players were well-aware of their son's skill and his strong basketball legacy, Cormac and Katrina admitted that Max's quick success took them by surprise.

Max Christie's Parents Set Priorities for Their Family

At 16, Max won gold at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Brazil and attended the NBPA Top 100 Camp. He received offers from Villanova and Virginia on the same day and had an impressive summer with his Illinois Wolves AAU team.

His travels, which he saw as a privilege, saw him spend three days at Steph Curry's SC30 Select Camp in California, where he volunteered in community service and got the chance to pick Steph's brain for basketball wisdom. However, off the court, it has been Max's parents that have kept him on track.

"My parents always tell me, 'Don't do anything stupid,'" Max said. With flexible jobs, Cormac and Katrina have been able to join their son on the whirlwind journey that has been his basketball career but have also managed to keep him grounded. Cormac said:

"We stress in our house to stay humble. It's not all about you; it's a team game. We trust our own instincts. We can juggle our schedules, and for the most part, all four of us are together. We've been gone a lot— been able to experience some amazing things."

Katrina revealed that while she can barely remember her draft day, every part of her son's journey— good and bad— has been documented, thanks to social media. And while the mom of two encourages her eldest son to soak in all the glory and enjoy the ride, she also urges him not to be blinded by the lights.

"Something we stress with Max is to try and play within yourself and the right way. You don't have to be flashy to make all the Twitter or Instagram feeds," Katrina said.

While Katrina and Cormac have kept their son grounded by upholding their family values, they are also their son's biggest supporters. Max revealed that his parents have been a great source of help throughout his career, instilling in him the importance of remaining humble and treating people with respect.

"They treat him like a normal teenager at home — him and his brother," said Mike Mullins, Max's Illinois Wolves coach. And according to Cormac and Katrina's son's former couch, Max's grounded upbringing would come in handy in the long run.

According to Mike, Max's schedule would only get busier, and he would experience more pressure, having received offers from Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, Florida, Baylor, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Stanford, Loyola, and DePaul during the recruiting period in high school.

During an interview, Max revealed that he had learned he was set to make his first NBA start for the Lakers less than an hour before the game and texted his mom to share the news of his career milestone. In January 2022, Max took to Instagram to share a photo dump, which included snaps of him and his parents embracing, and affectionately captioned the post, "My backbone."

Max Christie SR and Katrina Christie's Second Son Is Another Basketball Rising Star

After welcoming Max, Katrina gave birth to the couple's second son, Cameron. Since graduating high school and joining the Lakers, Max's younger brother has taken his place as a basketball player on the rise at The Rolling Meadows, the same high school San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garappolo attended. Katrina said:

"For Cameron, to be part of this, taking it all in, it's a great motivation. He wants to work hard and earn the same opportunity. The kids are super close."

While Cameron gained motivation from watching his brother's success, the young star revealed that he also found support in his parents. "It was very helpful to have parents who have gone through the whole process before," Cameron said.

The high school senior revealed that his parents teach him "a lot of things," especially his dad, who was the one who showed his sons how to shoot and joined them during workouts when they were younger.