By: Scott Eddy, Assistant Athletics Director for Athletics Communications
When he wore the Brown and White as a member of the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team, Chris Matthews rained threes in the Reilly Center.
Today, he's known worldwide to millions as "Lethal Shooter."
He's one of the world's most in-demand shooting coaches, working with numerous NBA and WNBA athletes to perfect their shot, including two currently playing in the NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics in Grant Williams and Daniel Theis. He's also worked with a long list of celebrities, frequently featured on his social media accounts.
Followed by more than two million fans on Instagram, Matthews has found stardom through features by ESPN, Jordan Brand, Sports Illustrated, an appearance in a Mountain Dew commercial, and showing off his form in NBA2K with game creators showcasing his shot. He even has a cameo in the new Netflix movie, 'Hustle.' His work as a shooting coach has earned him respect from all corners of the basketball globe and the biggest names in the basketball and entertainment worlds.
Now, some of those stars will be wearing a set of Lethal Shooter Air Jordans.
Matthews made history recently with the announcement of his Air Jordan 36 Low player edition. He's the first trainer to have a PE assigned to him by Jordan Brand.
"Jordan Brand came to me about this about a year and a half ago," Matthews said. "People think something like this happens overnight, but for a year and a half, I knew I had a shoe coming out and it was killing me not to tell anybody. They saw my love and passion for the game and they said they wanted to reward me for that."
Matthews and Jordan Brand worked together to put several personal touches on his new sneaker.
The shoe features a black and gold design which was made to be worn both on and off the court. His favorite feature, though, might be the in sole which bears his "Stay Locked In" logo in concrete with flowers printed on the tongue.
"The flower represents making it out of the toughness of Washington, D.C.," he says. "I grew up in D.C., born and raised, so to have a shoe that represents my city and someone that didn't give up is a blessing.
"I wanted to be the first trainer ever with a shoe. I want to break barriers, but to do that takes a lot of hard work and believing in yourself. If you're a part of something where you feel like concrete is keeping you down if you keep working hard that rose is going to come through the concrete."
A McDonald's All-America nominee in his native D.C., he started his collegiate career at Washington State before transferring back to the East Coast with the Bonnies. He was one of the first key building blocks in turning around Bonaventure's program under head coach Mark Schmidt, immediately making his mark by draining 81 three-pointers in his first SBU season of 2008-09.
He was the fastest player in program history to reach the century mark in threes, doing so in just 36 games, and set the then-team record for threes in a single game by draining eight on two separate occasions.
Matthews graduated as the program's single-season 3-point record holder, drilling 101 treys as a senior. In just 61 games of action, he ranks seventh all-time in career Bonnies threes (182). He was also instrumental in creating a culture of winning. Bona teammates who were underclassmen his senior season would go on to capture the A-10 championship just two years later.
"Coming to St. Bonaventure is one of the things that helped me in life because it was so welcoming," Matthews said. "It was a place that felt like home. There were times I had down moments, but I was able to speak to people who helped me there. Bona's really played a huge role in my life to where I am today."
Since leaving Bonaventure, Matthews has seen his profile skyrocket as he's become a star following his own professional career overseas. And, while he credits landing his own Jordan Brand sneaker as one of his top accomplishments, he still lists earning his degree at SBU as his proudest achievement.
"The number one moment in my life was graduating from St. Bonaventure. I think about it all the time," he emphasized. "To graduate from college was a dream come true because my dad was very serious about education. The great thing about playing for Coach Schmidt, they were serious about our grades. There were times I got caught skipping class and Coach (Dave) Moore would make me run at 5 in the morning. I told my dad I was going to get my degree from that point and was able to do that with him watching in the Reilly Center. Getting my college degree is number one and next up is getting my own Jordan PE."
For now, Matthews' sneakers will remain a limited edition for family and friends and potentially be up for retail sale next year. In the meantime, stars such as Drake, Future and 2 Chainz will be wearing the shoes this year.
And though he is today one of the most recognized figures in the game, Matthews continues to remember his St. Bonaventure roots.
"The older I get, the more I appreciate what an amazing place St. Bonaventure is," he said. "I see Coach Schmidt sometimes in the recruiting space because I'm an evaluator. I want to say thank you to everyone at Bonaventure, the coaches, the professors, you made it feel like home."
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