Men's Basketball Alumni Spotlight: Dionte Christmas

Temple men's basketball great Dionte Christmas is one of only four players in school history to score 2,000 career points, amassing 2,043 from 2005-09.

The only player to lead the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring three straight seasons (2006-09), Christmas joins Temple Hall of Famers Mark Macon (four times, 1987-97) and Jim Williams (three, 1963-66) as the only Owls to lead the team in scoring in three seasons.

The Philadelphia native is also the Owls' all-time three-point field goal leader (319) and the only Temple player to make 100 threes in a season, doing it in consecutive seasons (107, 2008-09; 104, 2007-08).

He was the A-10 Championship Most Valuable Player twice (2008, 2009), and earned First Team all-A10 honors both years. He also was named First Team all-Big 5 three times (2007, 2008, 2009).

Following his Temple career, he played professionally for nine seasons, including the 2013-14 season with the Phoenix Suns of the NBA.
He currently is an assistant coach with the Cristo Rey Boys Basketball team in Philadelphia.

Talk about being recruited by one of your idols, Naismith Hall of Famer John Chaney. How was did that feel?

"Being recruited by John Chaney was so special to me. People who followed my career know I was a late bloomer. My dream was always to stay home (and play basketball). I was a huge fan of (Temple great) Mardy Collins. He was like my mentor. I was watching what he was doing at Temple, and I was hoping Temple would recruit me, but they were not at the time. I had a lot of offers from out of state, but I wanted to stay home because my family never missed a game.

So fast forward a little. Temple really needed shooting my senior year. John Chaney and John Hardnett were close, and John (Hardnett) tells Coach, 'Man you have one of the best shooters in the city in your backyard, recruit him.'    So, John Chaney came to a Sonny Hill game and started recruiting me. It was amazing being recruited by a legend like John Chaney. It was so special to me. So, coming to Temple was a no-brainer.

Any favorite Coach Chaney memories you would like to share?

"I did not play as much as a freshman, but I learned so much from Coach.   He would make me feel that I was one of the worst basketball players, ever, but he always gave me words of encouragement at the same time. He never wanted us to get too high or too low. He was an amazing motivator. He always had our backs.

The 6 a.m. practices were nuts. There were times I literally had to sleep in the locker room to make sure I wasn't late (laughing).   I loved it though.
I did not play (much) my freshman year. I called my dad and said I was transferring. He just told me, to stick it out as you are learning from one of the best. So, I agreed and decided to stick it out."

Your career then took off under head coach Fran Dunphy. Talk about that transition and how you were able to make the adjustment.

"Once Coach Chaney announced he was retiring I was back to thinking about leaving (Temple). But once Fran Dunphy was named head coach, Jerome "Pooh" Allen, who I had played under, reached out to me and said, 'Hey young fella, stick around. You will have a lot of fun playing under him. He is a players' coach.' He spoke very highly of him.   I trusted Jerome as he was one of my mentors, so I decided to stay.

My first year (under Dunphy), there were a lot of ups and downs as were figuring each other out. I was playing and scoring a lot more, but we were losing.   At the end of the season, Coach had a meeting with me and (Mark) Tyndale. He said next year (losing) can't happen. He told Mark what he wanted him to do, and he told me what I needed to do. Mark and I had to get onboard. Thankfully, Mark and I were good friends, so we talked a lot and worked over the summer with John Hardnett, and we figured it out.   We also had a great leader in (current assistant coach) Chris Clark. He told us both that 'this train is not going to move without you two guys, so you have to get it together if we are going to win.' He really was a leader and helped push us over the top that season. We would defeat St. Joe's and won the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship in Atlantic City.

My senior year, Coach Dunphy had so much trust in me. He gave me so much leeway that season. He told me that the season was on me. He was going to put me in the right position to win. He showed so much trust in me. That made my senior year really special and one of the best times of my playing career. And again, we had a special run, winning the Conference Championship and I ended my Temple career again playing in the NCAAs."

Talk about coming back to finish your degree and being part of a special media conference to watch Fran Dunphy shave his signature mustache?

"I thought he was just joking as he would always say it (that he would shave), but I never thought he would do it.   I needed three credits to graduate the year I left Temple.   I was doing so many NBA workouts that I just could not get back to finish it. Coach Dunphy would not let it go. He would text me every summer after that to tell me to get my degree. He would say, 'if you get your degree, I will call every news station and I will shave my mustache.'

So, he convinced me and I signed up for my final class. Then when I got an email saying I passed the class and it was official, I texted him. He called me and was so excited. He told me to come to Temple the next day as he wanted to talk to me. When I arrived all the news stations were there. He did not tell me that was happening. It was too funny. He then prepped me for the media conference. After he did it his wife gave me the biggest hug and told me she had never seen her husband without a mustache. It was so crazy."

Following your Temple career, you embarked on a nine-year professional career, which playing the 2013-14 season with the Phoenix Suns during the 2013-14 season. Talk about your journey and finally realizing your goal of making a NBA roster?

"Coming out of Temple everyone thought I was going to be drafted. The night of the (NBA) draft was tough. I had family over at my house. My agent was telling me that he was hearing I was going to be a late first round, early second round pick. Well long story short, I did not get drafted. My family was upset and crying. I was like, it is ok. I am going to get to the NBA.

I then go overseas and play in Israel where I lead the league in scoring. I come back, try out in the (NBA) summer league again. Same result, I am not good enough. So, I go to Turkey and come back to a lockout. I try again, and am told I need to get better, get stronger. I come back again to the summer league. I get cut again. After that I tell my agent, I am done. I am just going to play overseas.   My agent said, 'I am going to make you a promise. If you go back overseas and average 20 points, shoot 40 percent from three, 90 percent from the free throw line, I will have you an NBA job for you or you can fire me.'

I then went to Greece and played for a team that had just made it to the First Division. I led the league in scoring, averaging 20 points, shot over 40 percent (from three) and over 85 percent from the line. At the end of the season I received a call from the (Houston) Rockets, and they signed me for the last two games of the regular season.   So, I fly back, but my team overseas did not send my FIBA paperwork, so I was not able to play.

Next stop is the summer league again, this time with Boston.   I just kill it. Tyronn Lue then brings me to Vegas.    I get there and I was supposed to be coming off the bench, but three guys were traded and all the sudden I am now starting and playing point guard. So, I play in my first game, against the Milwaukee Bucks, who had Tobias Harris at the time, and have my best game. I score like 28 points, with five rebounds and six assists. I play well during the rest of the league and then at the end my agent says Boston has offered me a partial deal, but I can go back to Greece for a more lucrative contract. I have two hours to decide, so I call my dad, who I am so close to and talk it through with him. His advice was simple, 'Chase your Dream.'

I ended up being with Boston for only a few months before being released. Ryan McDonough, Boston's Assistant General Manager, stayed in touch with me even after I went back overseas where my team won a championship in Italy.   The following year I played again in NBA Summer Leagues, and meet up with Ryan, but now he is with Phoenix as their GM.   So, I play for the Suns in the Vegas League. I play really well and get invited to their minicamp.   They have 17 players there and I am the 17^th guy with 15 players already under contract.   My agent says just keep playing, something will work out. In my final game, playing against Spurs, I finish with 18 points, but I am still the 16^th man on a 15-man roster.   Two days later Phoenix trades two players which opens a roster spot. It was after our final practice that I find out that I had finally earned a spot on an NBA roster, a dream fulfilled. I remember calling my dad and we both just cried on the phone.

Making the NBA, and that year in Phoenix was the highlight of my career."

Following your playing career, what has kept you busy?
"
I have been coaching and training and helping young players since I have been back in the Philadelphia area. When I stopped playing, I just wanted to give back to my community.   Then I met up with Erick Woods from St. Joe's and joined his staff at Cristo Rey High School two years ago. Erick ended up stepping down that first year to be with his son, but I stayed on as an assistant coach under Kyle Sample.   We had a successful first year, won a championship. I really enjoy it a lot."

Where do you see yourself in the future?

"I want to stay in coaching for now. I have enjoyed being a part of the staff at Cristo Rey and want to continue to grow as a coach and see where it leads me."

What advice would you give to our current members of the team?

"Do not take this time for granted as it goes by fast. Give it your all. That is all we ask for as alumni as if you play hard, we will accept it. That is what we did as players, give our coach and teammates everything we had. Can you look yourself in the mirror and know you did everything you could to make yourself better and to make your team better?   That is what matters the most."

Temple University Athletics

Men's Basketball Alumni Spotlight: Dionte Christmas

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