Success did not come easily, or quickly, for Chris Childs. Undrafted by the NBA, he spent five seasons in basketball's minor leagues, honing his skills and working on his game while waiting for the opportunity to prove he could play at basketball's highest level. When that opportunity came he grabbed it, establishing himself as a starting NBA point guard with the New Jersey Nets and then signing a lucrative, long-term contract in the summer of 1996 with the New York Knicks as a veteran free agent.
A versatile guard who played college ball at Boise State, Childs gained a measure of attention with a Most Valuable Player trophy in the 1994 CBA Championship Series. That landed him a tryout with the New Jersey Nets the following season. Childs played with five different CBA teams in his first three seasons in the league, improving his scoring average in each of those three seasons: 7.5 points per game in 1989-90, 9.0 in 1990-91 and 12.4 in 1991-92. In 1992-93 he moved on to Quad City and averaged 11.9 points, 5.8 assists and 1.36 steals in 50 games. He made a name for himself the next season when he led the Thunder to its first-ever league title. In a CBA Championship Series that included a total of six overtimes in five games, Childs averaged 19.8 points and 11.8 assists to win the series MVP Award. During the regular season, Childs had posted averages of 17.9 points and 7.6 assists per game, both ranking in the league's top 20. He completed the season ranked 11th on the CBA's all-time assists list.
New Jersey signed Childs for the 1994-95 season and he saw time at both guard slots on a Nets team thinned by injuries to Kevin Edwards, Kenny Anderson, Sleepy Floyd and Sean Higgins. Childs really came into his own in his second season with the Nets, taking over as the starting point guard after Anderson was traded in midseason and finishing 12th in the NBA in assists. After becoming a veteran free agent, Childs moved his allegiance across the Hudson River and signed with the New York Knicks, where he succeeded the veteran Derek Harper as the team's starting point guard. Childs averaged 9.3 points and a team-high 6.1 assists for the Knicks in 1996-97, although he missed 17 games due to injuries, including a fractured fibula suffered in preseason. Childs relinquished the starting point guard job to Charlie Ward prior to the 1997-98 season and averaged 6.3 ppg and 3.9 apg off the bench, missing 14 games due to injury and illness. Playing exclusively off the bench in 1998-99, Childs proved to be one of the Knicks' most consistent performers, contributing 6.8 ppg and 4.0 apg in 48 games and shooting a career-high .427 from the field including .383 from three-point range.
1999-2000 NOTES
Childs tallied 15 points (6-7 FG, 3-3 3 FG) and 6 assists in a 99-96 win over Orlando on November 27.
1998-99 NOTES
Childs was a consistent contributor for the Knicks off the bench. Appearing in 48 games, all as a reserve, he averaged 6.8 points, 4.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 0.92 steals in 27.0 minutes per game, shooting a career-high .427 from the field, including .386 (36-for-94) from three-point range, and .821 from the free throw line. He ranked second on the team in assists and three-point accuracy and third in steals and three-point field goals. He led the team in assists 16 times, dishing a season-high 10 assists at Washington on April 14. He also had 13 points and nine assists in that game, playing a season-high 39 minutes. He scored in double figures 14 times, registering a season-high 15 points against New Jersey on March 7, a game in which he sank a 50-foot shot at the buzzer ending the third quarter. He twice had eight rebounds and had three games with three three-pointers. He averaged 9.2 ppg in 13 games February 23-March 15, scoring in double figures eight times in that span.
He played in all 20 playoff games, averaging 4.7 points and 3.7 assists in 24.7 minutes per game. He shot .355 from the field, .321 from three-point range and .731 from the free throw line. He was second on the team in assists and tied for third in three-pointers with nine.
Named to the 1998-99 NBA All-Interview Second Team Ranked 2nd on the Knicks in three-point percentage (.383), free-throw percentage (.821) and assists, (4.0 apg) Childs scored 13 points (5-7 FG, 3-4 3FG) and notched 3 assists against the Orlando Magic on April 6. He recorded 14 points (5-9 FG, 4-4 FT), 5 assists and 3 rebounds in a 108-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on March 15, and totaled 15 points (4-6 FG, 3-4 3FG, 4-4 FT) and 6 rebounds in a 97-86 victory over the New Jersey Nets on March 7. He posted 13 points (4-6 FG, 3-4 3FG, 2-3 FT) and team-highs of 9 assists and 8 rebounds in a 101-88 win over the Washington Wizards on Feb.10.
1996-97 NOTES
Childs' career with the Knicks got off to a rocky start when he collided with backup point guard Charlie Ward in a preseason practice on Oct. 8 and suffered a fractured right fibula. He sat out all the preseason games and the first nine games of the regular season before being activated on Nov. 19. He later missed three games due to back spasms and five because of a bruised left wrist.
Childs played in 65 games, all but four of them as a starter, and averaged 9.3 points, 6.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.20 steals in 31.9 minutes. He led the team in assists, was second in steals and third in three-pointers made (70) and attempted (181). He posted the only triple-double by a Knick in 1996-97 on Jan. 24 when he had 13 points, 12 assists and a season-high 10 rebounds in a 113-104 overtime loss at Charlotte. It was the second triple-double of his career. He scored a season-high 24 points, including a clutch three-pointer with 31.9 seconds to play that put New York ahead to stay, in a 99-94 victory over the Utah Jazz on Dec. 17. He handed out a season-high 13 assists in a 127-121 double overtime victory at the Lakers on Feb. 23.
Childs started all 10 of New York's playoff games and averaged 10.4 points, a team-high 5.9 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.00 steals. He had 22 points and 9 assists in Game 6 of the Conference Finals against the Miami Heat.
1995-96 NOTES
Childs' ability to play the point enabled the Nets to trade Kenny Anderson to Charlotte on Jan. 19 after they were unable to reach agreement with Anderson on a contract extension. Though only in his second NBA season, Childs was hardly inexperienced after having played five seasons in the CBA, so it was no surprise he was able to step right in for Anderson and develop into a solid NBA playmaker.
Childs played 78 games for the Nets, making 54 starts. He averaged 12.8 points, 7.0 assists (12th in the NBA), 3.1 rebounds and 1.42 steals in 30.9 minutes per game. He easily led the Nets in assists and steals as well as in three-point field goals made and attempted as he shot 95-for-259 for .367 from behind the arc.
Childs' ability to stop and nail the three-pointer only enhanced his effectiveness at driving to the basket and setting up his New Jersey teammates. He had a memorable stretch of games just prior to the All-Star break and immediately after the trading of Anderson. Childs scored a career-high 30 points against Minnesota on Jan. 20 after getting a career-high 11 rebounds at Washington the night before, which was the day Anderson was dealt, and on Feb. 7 he handed out a career-high 17 assists against the Lakers. He scored in double figures 48 times and had 17 double-doubles on the season. He posted his first career triple-double against the Chicago Bulls on March 16, getting 18 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds before moving across the Hudson River and signing with the New York Knicks.
1994-95 NOTES
After five seasons in the Continental Basketball Association, Childs finally entered the NBA as a 27-year-old rookie in 1994-95. He was signed in the offseason by the New Jersey Nets, who used him regularly to plug holes in a backcourt riddled with injuries. Childs saw action in 53 games for New Jersey, drawing 11 starts and logging 19.3 minutes per game, eighth highest on the team.
A guard with competent shooting and passing skills, he played both backcourt positions as Nets guards Kevin Edwards, Kenny Anderson, Sleepy Floyd, and Sean Higgins all missed time during the year. Childs averaged 5.8 points and 4.1 assists. He didn't shoot the ball particularly well, registering a .380 field-goal percentage for the season, but then few of the Nets did. None of the team's backcourt players shot above .450, and Childs was one of four guards to finish below .400. The Nets finished at 30-52 and missed the playoffs.
