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It’s a story straight out of a Disney movie.
Local college hoops star becomes an emerging star for the local pro team, falls out of favor and gets shipped away into obscurity, joins a chief rival and becomes persona non grata, begins to lose his game and is unceremoniously dropped from the league, then gets a last shot at glory with the other local team to help put them over the top, supported through thick and thin by his loyal wife and college sweetheart.
Yes, I’m talking about the immortal Doug Christie, newest member of the Clippers, who was signed yesterday to a ten-day contract. Already it seems to be paying dividends: the Clips won their first game with him in the lineup, with Christie leaving a mark during his two minutes of action.
True basketball fans remember Christie as a stud shooting guard at Pepperdine, and the supposed cornerstone of the Lakers during the post-Magic Randy Pfund era. He made his claim to fame as a member of the hated Kings when he guarded Kobe during the teams’ classic playoff battles. He’s had a solid, though not spectacular career, but has played sparingly the last two-plus seasons because of injuries until being waived by Dallas earlier this year. Known as an athletic, pesky defender with an inconsistent jumper, he can provide some veteran experience in spot minutes if he’s healthy.
But the real reason why this is at all notable is because of the, um, unique relationship that Doug has with his wife, Jackie. If you’re one of the fifteen people that has BET-J, you may have seen their reality show, Committed: The Christies. To quote from the show’s homepage: (read after the jump)
“Doug Christie is a champion and a tough-nosed competitor who will bite, fight, scratch and claw his way to victory. At least on the court, that is! Off the court, however, his wife Jackie is the star. She is omnipresent, controlling and clearly in charge. Some would say that Doug’s “whipped”; he says he’s happy.”
If you don’t know about the history of the Christie’s relationship, here are some of the highlights:
- Doug signals to Jackie around 50 times a game, using his index finger and pinky, as a way of letting him know that he loves her
- The couple gets married every year on their anniversary -– a full wedding, not just a renewal of vows
- Doug avoids any contact with all women besides his wife
- Doug can only speak to female reporters if Jackie is present
- Jackie often travels with the team and rides in a car behind the bus, talking with Doug on the phone between the hotel and the arena
- A former Kings employee sued the team for wrongful termination, allegedly stemming from Jackie’s demand to fire her because the woman delivered a phone message to Doug
- After Doug and former Laker Rick Fox brawled during a 2002 exhibition game, Jackie jumped Fox as the two headed towards the locker room
Guys, before accusing your woman of being too clingy or possessive, just remember, you could be Doug.
AP photo by Mark J. Terrill