ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — St. Bonaventure alum and professional basketball shooting coach Chris Matthews will return to St. Bonaventure this Sunday for the Bonnies Homecoming and 80’s Weekend game vs. George Washington.
More commonly known online as “Lethal Shooter,” Matthews is among the most highly sought-after private skills coaches in the NBA and WNBA, with clientele that has included Dwight Howard, Anthony Davis, Candace Parker and Skylar Diggins-Smith.
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 Netflix movie, ‘Hustle.’
Matthews made history this past year with his Air Jordan 36 Low player edition. He became the first trainer to have a PE assigned to him by Jordan Brand.
Matthews’ custom Air Jordan shoe, a ball commemorating his accomplishments at SBU, and pictures from his career and post-Bonaventure success will be on display for fans this weekend in the Stith-Crawford lobby. Following Sunday’s game, all items will be permanently displayed in the Reilly Center.
In addition, Matthews will be honored at halftime of Sunday’s game and will host a shooting contest between two students with the winner receiving a special prize courtesy of Matthews.
Matthews is the fastest player in St. Bonaventure basketball 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.”
Game time this Sunday is set for 2:00 p.m. and fans are encouraged to arrive early as a capacity crowd is expected.
