Klay Thomspon was shocked when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic and he then got another shock from his new teammate Max Christie. Thompson revealed in his press conference after the 129-128 OT loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday that for years, he thought Max was the son of the opposing head coach Doug Christie.
“I thought that was Doug Christie’s son for like years,” Thompson said. “I clarified that with him and they’re not related. Same measurables you know? 6’6” off guard.
“I’ve been incredibly impressed with Max, what a great addition,” Thompson added. “I’ve had great success with Michigan State guys in my career, and he’s just another one. They come in, they know how to defend, they are team players, and he has such a bright future in this league.”
Thompson was, of course, referring to his former Golden State Warriors teammate Draymond Green there. He sees some similarities between Green and Christie.
Getting back to the topic at hand, Thompson isn’t the only one to have been mistaken about these two. Many thought Max was Doug’s son when the Los Angeles Lakers drafted him with the 35th pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, and it’s only over time that it’s become clear that’s not the case.
Doug does have three children, but none of them are in the NBA. Max, meanwhile, does come from a basketball family, but one that has no relation to Doug’s. His real father, Max Sr., played college basketball at Parkland and Wisconsin–Superior. He didn’t go pro, however, choosing to become an aircraft pilot instead.
Max’s mother, Katrina, meanwhile, played college basketball at Northwestern and scored over 1,000 points. She too decided against going pro, though, and became a psychotherapist. While the parents had to abandon a career in sports for one reason or another, their children didn’t have to.
Not only is Max in the NBA, but his younger brother Cam is too. The Los Angeles Clippers selected Cam with the 46th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The two brothers got to play against each other in the NBA for the first time when the Lakers faced off against the Clippers on Jan. 19, 2025. It was quite a special moment.
Time will tell if Cam has what it takes to carve out a long career in the NBA but his elder brother certainly will be around for a while. Max is shining for the Mavericks and has become a fan favorite in Dallas. The 22-year-old is averaging 17.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 steals per game for the Mavs while shooting 57.9% from three.
In Thompson’s press conference, he was asked if he knew Christie could shoot this well and admitted he didn’t.
“I did not, but he has a beautiful jump shot,” Thompson stated. “Great arc on the ball, backspin, and you can’t leave him open.”
Christie is unlikely to keep shooting that well, as he only shot 37.3% from beyond the arc for the Lakers. While the percentages might regress, what won’t go down is the effort he puts in on the court. That’s what has endeared him to Mavericks fans and he has given them a reason to smile after Doncic was traded away.
Christie will be in action next when the Mavericks take on the Warriors at American Airlines Center on Wednesday at 9:30 PM ET.
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