As far as Cameron Christie is concerned, if his older brother can become teammates with LeBron James, anything is possible for him as well.
Christie’s brother, Max, is a rookie for the Los Angeles Lakers. He graduated from Rolling Meadows in 2021 and played a season at Michigan State.
Cameron Christie, a senior guard and a Minnesota recruit, is now the leader of a Mustangs team with state title aspirations.
“It’s definitely a cool experience seeing Max play for the Lakers,” Cameron said. “It’s something you work for your whole life. As a kid, you grow up watching these people. And to see your brother on that stage, and hoping that will be you in the future, that means a lot.
“It’s really helpful because you see what you have to do in order to get that far and in order to accomplish that goal. It’s definitely a big motivator for me to get to that point.”
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For now, Cameron Christie is focused on doing big things for Rolling Meadows, which improved to 16-1 by winning the 32-team Jack Tosh Holiday Classic at York, beating Lyons 56-42 in the championship game.
Christie averaged 26.4 points, hit 21 3-pointers over five games and was named the tournament’s MVP.
“It’s a great tournament with a lot of good teams in here,” Christie said. “We wanted to come out every day and compete as hard as we could to get to that championship game. We felt like we had a good chance to win it.
“It’s a big accomplishment for us.”
‘A lot of good stories’
Cameron Christie went out to Los Angeles in the fall to see Max play for the Lakers. He got the opportunity to watch his brother living out the dream they both have shared since they were little kids.
“I got to watch two or three games,” Cameron said. “I’ll probably catch a few more as the season goes on. There have been a lot of exciting moments.
“I think it’s fun, not only for me, but for the whole community to see what he’s done over the years and now be able to watch him on the big stage.”
Indeed, Rolling Meadows coach Kevin Katovich has also enjoyed seeing his former player reach the highest level of the sport.
He’s confident there will be another Christie there before too long.
“I’m definitely really lucky to have gotten to coach Max and Cameron,” Katovich said. “We knew Max was that kind of player when he was here, and to see to him get to the NBA, playing for the Lakers, it’s amazing to watch.
“I think Cameron is certainly headed in that same direction. I’m going to miss him. I’m going to enjoy this last season with him, that’s for sure.”
Cameron and Max talk often. Max will pass on pointers he learns from his veteran teammates, and Cameron gets to hear all about the experiences of an NBA rookie.
“He’s helped me out with a lot of advice,” Cameron said. “He’s picking up so many new things out there and he shares some of that knowledge with me, which is great.
“There’s been a lot of stuff. He’s had a lot of fun out there. There are definitely a lot of good stories.”
It’s no surprise Max’s success is pushing Cameron to get better. That has been the story their whole lives.
“I always grew up kind of following in his footsteps and looking up to him,” Cameron said of Max. “He’s set a great example. At the same time, I’ve definitely had that motivation to show who I am as a player and what I can do. I had to show people I was more than just Max’s little brother.”
Elevating his game
Cameron Christie averaged 22 points, four rebounds and three assists as a junior last season, helping Rolling Meadows win its first regional title in over two decades.
A consistent, smooth shooter with a sweet stroke from all over the floor, he hit 42% of his 3-pointers and 93% of his free throws.
As a senior, though, he was intent to be more than just a shooter.
“I spent a lot of time in the weight room making sure I was jumping higher and getting stronger,” Christie said. “Just getting more confident in myself to finish in those situations at the rim.”
Now, Christie trusts himself to drive to the basket and score when defenses try to take away his jump shot.
“I think I’m doing a better job finishing toward the rim,” he said. “Last year, I was pretty much strictly a jump shooter. I’d shoot layups every now and then.
“Now, I feel like I’ve improved my athleticism and my confidence around the rim. That’s opened up a lot of opportunities.”
Christie worked a lot on footwork and strength. He also knew he needed to build up a mentality to not shy away from contact against bigger players.
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“Athleticism is a big part and being confident you can get up and jump over people,” he said. “Going up strong off two feet is a really big thing. You’re not going to get a lot of calls in there, so you have to make sure you can go up and finish through contact.”
Katovich sees his star’s game becoming more versatile, which is paying off for him and the Mustangs.
“He’s gotten stronger,” Katovich said. “He continues to become more and more of a well-rounded, complete player. Now, he can score outside, he can hit a midrange shot and he can score at the basket. He can score at any level.
“He’s a tougher defender, a better passer. He’s just gotten better all-around.”
Senior forward Mark Nikolich-Wilson has emerged as a big secondary scoring option for the Mustangs. He’s a consistent threat inside, opening things up for Christie.
“I think having to guard someone inside makes it a lot easier to shoot outside,” Nikolich-Wilson said. “I’ll find guys wide open. I like looking for that pass and getting it out a teammate for an open shot.”
Nikolich-Wilson has seen Cameron Christie take another step this season — from ultra-talented star capable of coming through with a huge game when he was hot to a dependable leader who will bring his best every night.
“I think he’s been a lot more consistent,” Nikolich-Wilson said. “Every game, he plays the same. I think that’s really a credit to how he works.”
Bright future, exciting present
Cameron Christie is ranked as the No. 3 recruit in Illinois for the 2023 class by 247Sports.com.
He received 13 offers from major college programs, including Illinois and Max’s alma mater, Michigan State.
Ultimately, Cameron chose to stay in the Big Ten but at a different destination at Minnesota.
“The support the whole staff showed me was tremendous,” Cameron said. “They were at all my games. I like the plan they laid out for me. I just thought it was a place I could call home and I would have a lot of fun there.”
Cameron also knows there will be some trash talk between him and Max when the Golden Gophers and Spartans play.
“Oh, yeah, there will be some conversations that will be had in the future,” Cameron said. “I wanted to make sure I picked the place that was right for me.”
With that big decision out of the way, Cameron can focus on his senior season.
“As a player that wants to get to the NBA, you know you have to take it step by step,” he said. “Start with high school, move on to college and then the NBA.
“Right now, I’m still on the high school part. I don’t want to look too far ahead. I want to make sure I enjoy my last season.”
Meanwhile, Christie is certain the Mustangs have a team that can do some special things.
“We’ve been playing together for a long time, since third or fourth grade,” he said. “We have really good chemistry. We’re confident in each other to make the right passes, take the right shots.
“I love the unselfishness we have on this team. We do a really good job moving the ball.”
And Katovich knows he has a player capable of taking his team to new heights.
“Nothing really surprises me with him anymore,” Katovich said. “He’s such a class act, such a hard worker, such a great player. We’re blessed that we see it every day, so it’s never a shock or eye-opening for us. It’s just how Cameron is.”
Of course, the ultimate goal is a Class 4A state championship. Max Christie did not get a chance to chase that goal in his senior season, which was shortened due to the pandemic.
Cameron was a sophomore that season in spring 2021. Rolling Meadows went undefeated but there were no playoffs.
Now, Cameron is ready to take his last shot.
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“That opportunity was taken away his senior year, my sophomore year,” he said. “We felt like we had a really good team that year.
“We’ve been given the opportunity to hopefully recreate that, so we’re going to do everything in our power to compete every game and go as far as we can.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.