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

WY Network by Dwyane Wade

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