School: Bensalem
Basketball
Favorite athlete: Derrick Rose
Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles
Favorite memory competing in sports: “Upsetting Spring-Ford in the first round of playoffs my sophomore year.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: “My shorts were on backwards!”
Music on iPod: “Every Day a Star is Born” by Jay-Z
Future plans: Graduate from college and become a detective
Words to live by: “Set your goals higher than what you expect, so if you miss, you’re satisfied.”
One goal before turning 30: “Be successful with a stable job and family”
One thing people don’t know about me: “I came from North Philadelphia.”
By Nate Oxman
Just minutes after suffering a stinging 46-45 season-ending loss at Council Rock North on Tuesday in a PIAA District One Class AAAA playback game, Nick Christian was asked to reflect on his basketball career at Bensalem.
The 6-foot-2 senior guard easily could have mentioned his performance on the court, where he orchestrated both the offense and defense for an Owls’ team that finished 15-10, earned the No. 15 seed in the district playoffs, and nearly knocked off defending state champion Penn Wood last Tuesday.
Instead, he quickly pointed to the impact he made on the lives of future Owls.
“I touched a lot of young kids’ lives in a positive way,” said Christian. “In the summertime, I coach at the Bensalem Police League. I think that’s what I’m really going to take out of it. I’ve touched a lot of guys’ lives and kind of left behind a legacy. A lot of young kids look up to me, so hopefully they will go the right way.”
A sophomore backup guard two seasons ago before the team’s starting point guard at the time tore his ACL, Christian quickly accepted the challenge from his coaching staff to step in and take the reigns as a full-time starter.
Despite playing among a group of upperclassmen, Christian quickly became the team’s leader.
“At the time, the seniors even looked to him,” said Bensalem coach John Mullin. “He just has it. He has that intangible ability [to lead].”
As Christian started to grow accustomed to his new role, he learned that the accompanying responsibility stretched beyond leading his teammates on the floor.
“I wasn’t always good,” said Christian. “I used to look up to people as well, and growing up there were a lot of people in my ear - my coaches, my parents, telling me, ‘Listen, there are people watching.’ And I kind of took heed to it. There really were people watching.
“Kids started coming up to me saying, ‘You played good,’ that type of thing, from younger kids … it just kind of took over my life, I guess. It went to more than just the basketball court.”
That “life is bigger than basketball” mentality seemed to progress right along with Christian’s skill level.
As a junior, he garnered first-team all-Suburban One National Conference honors and attracted the attention of college coaches at various levels, including Division I.
It’s only fitting for a kid like Christian, chock full of character, that the U.S. Military Academy was among the first schools to express interest. Before the season began Christian was accepted to West Point, where a full scholarship is on the table to play basketball for D-I Army.
But Christian is quick to insist that his plans for next year are still very much up in the air.
“I guess it’s undecided right now,” said Christian, who said he will most likely announce his plans in the next few weeks and that other schools such as East Stroudsburg and Norfolk State are still in the mix.
“It kind of was the first Division I [school] to come up,” said Christian of Army. “And I kind of jumped on [pursuing] it. We all know the West Point background and that type of thing and the tradition that comes with the school. It’s a very prestigious school. So that being said, it would be an honor to go there.”
Christian’s older brother, Justin, 21, is currently enrolled in the Army, and Christian acknowledged that fact will weigh into his decision.
“He definitely influenced me,” said Christian, who chose to wear the same No. 11 jersey Justin wore in his playing days at Bensalem. “He probably made me better too because I played him one on one every day.
“I’m probably better than him now, but he was definitely an influence on my basketball career as well as my pops [Terry]. My dad played basketball at Bensalem too.”
A former baseball and football player, Christian dropped both sports by his sophomore year to focus on basketball.
The move has allowed a player with tremendous athletic ability, quickness, and innate instincts to blossom into a next-level talent. He scored 36 points earlier this season in a win over Truman and dropped 23 and 20, respectively, in his team’s first two district playoff games last month.
But he doesn’t have scouts drooling simply over his ability to light up the scoreboard. Christian’s quickness makes him a terrific defender, both on the ball and off, as well as a deadly weapon with the basketball in his hands.
He has a knack for breaking down defenders off the dribble and penetrating into the paint, has the dexterity to finish in traffic over taller players, but at the same time also possesses the propensity to unselfishly dish out of double teams rather than force the issue.
While college basketball is near on the horizon for Christian, he’s humble enough to know that his competitive playing days will eventually come to an end.
“I don’t know if I should say that I lost the dream, but I’m not going to put all my chips on it,” said Christian of someday playing professionally. “I want to go toward the law enforcement field, kind of like a detective. That’s really what I’m leaning toward. But I’m still going to work hard. That’s not going to hinder my efforts toward college basketball or anything like that.
“I kind of always wanted to be in law enforcement as a kid. But it kind of got pushed to the side when I started seeing a change in my athletic ability and in basketball. But now when you kind of look at the big picture, it’s back toward law enforcement.”
Christian will be sorely missed next year by all of those in the basketball community at Bensalem, but those budding Bensalem Police League players he’s worked with will follow soon enough.
“Nick is a consummate leader,” said Mullin. “He’s a great kid. Whatever he does, he’ll be successful because he has the ability to lead in any setting.”
