NBA players get a lot of benefits from their fame, but sometimes it can work against them, as Max Christie of the Los Angeles Lakers may have found out after being put on blast by an Instagram model following a possible recent encounter.
The 20-year-old Christie is in his second season with the Lakers after he was a second-round pick (No. 35 overall) in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Michigan State University product is averaging 3.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in eight appearances this season. Last season as a rookie, he averaged 3.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 41 appearances.
The Lakers are back at .500 with a 6-6 record after a 125-110 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. They had won three in a row after a three-game losing streak.
Christie played 10 minutes combined in the Lakers’ back-to-back set against the Kings and Memphis Grizzlies after playing a season-high 28 minutes last Wednesday against the Houston Rockets.
The Los Angeles rotation has been in flux throughout the season because of multiple injuries. The Lakers also reportedly might be looking to make some personnel additions and are being linked to Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso.
Lakers insider Jovan Buha has described the team’s interest in LaVine as “real,” but at the right price. Acquiring the guard from the Chicago Bulls conceivably could limit Christie’s playing time even further.
Any reinforcements likely would be welcomed by the Lakers — and LeBron James specifically — as the 38-year-old continues to play significant minutes despite dealing with a calf injury. He logged 35 minutes against the Kings after playing just 23 minutes against the Grizzlies the night before.
Anthony Davis also is dealing with an injury, but the big man did not blame whatever discomfort it may be causing him for his subpar performance against the Kings.
The Lakers would seem to have enough to deal with on the court without the distraction Christie’s possible dalliance being exposed on social media may cause. It will be interesting to see if it has any effect on his performance or playing time going forward.
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