Photo: St. Bonaventure Athletics
BY: KYLE MAIER, SPORTS EDITOR
Former St. Bonaventure University basketball player Chris Matthews, known to millions on social media as “Lethal Shooter,” will forever be etched in basketball history Sunday.
“This weekend, I’m going to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, where I’ll be donating two rims and two pairs of shoes to put inside an exhibit,” said Matthews. “To have this type of moment, it’s a dream come true.”
Matthews, a shooting coach and social media personality, is fourth all-time in three-pointers made at Bonaventure. On Oct. 13, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will give the sharpshooter his own exhibit in the museum.
The National Basketball Association wants to honor Matthews, who makes basketball-related videos across numerous online platforms, for his innovative content, he said.
“Nobody has really had this type of impact on basketball socially,” said Matthews. “I do these videos to help basketball be loved at all ages. I appreciate the NBA for giving me this opportunity.”
Despite a decorated post-playing career, Matthews said he couldn’t have achieved his success without Bonaventure.
“Coach [Mark] Schmidt knows how to pull something out of you didn’t know you had in you,” said Matthews. “I give the university and him a big applause for making me who I am today.” \
Matthews currently partners with the NBA as a global ambassador, he said.
“I help with the Junior NBA help because I love kids,” said Matthews. “I go to different countries for NBA events. I do a lot of stuff with the NBA on All-Star Weekend. They give me a platform and it’s a dream come true, especially for a league of this stature to say, ‘We want Lethal Shooter.’”
The Jr. NBA “is the premier resource for youth basketball players, parents, coaches and league administrators looking to learn more about the game,” according to its website.
Matthews aspires to teach the fundamentals of the game to young players, he said.
“I’ve been solely invested in youth basketball,” said Matthews. “I went all in on grassroots basketball to give back to the community and push the narrative of fundamental shooting at a young age.”
From starting as a trainer to posting trick shots, collaborating with celebrities and appearing in the 2022 movie “Hustle,” Matthew always looks to expand his brand, he said.
“I’m always thinking out-of-the-box,” said Matthews. “After training a Grayson Allen or Jaylen Brown, I think ‘Why can’t I do a turbine shot’? ‘Why can’t I shoot underwater?’ I started having fun with it.”
Grayson Allen, a guard for the Phoenix Suns, led the NBA in three-point percentage last season. Jaylen Brown is an all-star guard for the 2023-24 champions, Boston Celtics.
Matthews has a message to the Bona faithful ahead of basketball season.
“Shout out to all the fans that make St. Bonaventure what it is,” said Matthews. “Shout to the teachers, the cooks, the people who cut the grass. Without everybody, we wouldn’t be a family.”
Following his Hall of Fame ceremony, Matthews shares what’s next for Lethal Shooter. “In the next two weeks, I’m going to do something crazy in New York; we just got the permit from Red Bull,” said Matthews. “Then I got something insane coming up in December in South Africa. So definitely stay tuned.”
maierkj22@bonaventure.edu
