It’s the evening of June 28, 1995. The second round of the NBA draft is nearing its final picks, and college junior Chris Carr awaits his name. Carr, already missing the draft party his family and friends were hosting across the flooded Mississippi River, was nervous. “We get to the late 50s, and I’m like sinking in my chair, because I’m like ‘Oh my gosh, I’m not going to make it.’” 

After a commercial break, Carr’s wait was over. “When it comes back off of commercial, they say, ‘Man, while we were on commercial break, the Phoenix Suns select Chris Carr out of Southern Illinois University,’ and I was elated,” Carr said. “I’m the first guy, maybe, to ever get drafted on a commercial break.” 

Carr grew up in Ironton, a small city in southeast Missouri. The youngest of ten siblings, Carr was born into a basketball family. He began his own basketball journey around four or five years old. “I have brothers and sisters that played high school basketball,” he said. “That was a form of halftime entertainment, watching me dribble up and down the court and throw the ball at the hoop.” 

Basketball reflected the principles of resilience, dedication, and loyalty Carr learned early in life, which he credited to his mother. “We had two things that she was very strong about,” he said. “‘If you have two hands and two feet, you can always work,’ and ‘You’re never going to quit.’”  

Carr attended Arcadia Valley High School where he became an All-State selection his senior year. After graduating in 1992, he attended Southern Illinois University prior to the 1995 draft.  

After a winning high school career, Carr held the same expectation in his freshman year of college. When the team made the NCAA tournament, Carr wasn’t surprised. “I had expected that’s just what we would do, and I didn’t realize that for a school like ours to make it to the NCAA tournament was such a big deal.” 

After playing Duke University in the tournament, Carr realized he could take his craft further. “That was the first time I’d really had the notion that I might have a chance at being good enough to play in the NBA.” 

Carr then dedicated himself to becoming the best he could be through extra practice and conditioning. This relentless work ethic is now popularized as the Mamba Mentality in honor of Kobe Bryant.  

Carr was also motivated by his future. “I’m going to have a son someday. We’re going to be sitting watching an NBA game, and he’ll say, ‘Man, Dad, why didn’t you play in the NBA?’ If I said, ‘Well, if I’d worked harder, I could’ve made it,’ then that pre-programs him that ‘now I don’t have to work as hard.” 

“If I work as hard as I can, and I’m just not good enough, I can stomach not being good enough,” Carr said. “I would not be able to stomach that I was good enough, and I didn’t work hard enough to attain my goal.” 

Carr left his college career with three Missouri Valley Conference titles, including receiving the 1995 Valley Player of the Year and Conference Tournament MVP. 

Despite an unfavorable draft night, Carr felt blessed to work with the Phoenix Suns, a team he says valued him and wanted to see him do well. His teammates, including Charles Barkley, and other seasoned players like Reggie Miller helped him recognize the importance of his role and pushed him to continue developing his craft. 

Looking back on his NBA career, Carr cited the 1997 All-Star Weekend as one of his most memorable moments, including the Dunk Contest where he placed runner-up to Bryant. The NBA honored its 50 greatest players for the first time, and Carr had the opportunity to meet players he grew up watching, including Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Moses Malone, and fellow Southern Illinois alum Walt Frazier.  

Carr also met Magic Johnson, a player he admired for his showmanship and unwavering talent, even after years off from the game. “He told me, ‘Always be working on the best version of you, because that’s what people will attract to,’” Carr said. “‘At home, I’m Earvin, but if I go anywhere else, I’m Magic. People expect Magic, because Magic lights up a room.’” 

In 2001, Carr left his seven year NBA career. After two years in professional European leagues, Carr turned to coaching at the high school, Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), and university levels. He also began his own program called 43 Hoops Basketball Academy in Hopkins, Minnesota. In the summer of 2021, Carr became an assistant coach for Drury University’s Men’s Basketball team.  

“I love teaching the game of basketball,” Carr said. “I love investing in young people and seeing them grow and become a better version of themselves. That, to me, is the true essence of coaching.” 

Carr helped throughout the team’s rebuilding process. “It’s their first winning season in the last three or four years,” he said. “It’s great to see that and know that I was a part of that building process.” 

In 2023, Drury president John Beuerlein offered Carr an associate director of admissions role, focused primarily on minority and athletic recruitment. Carr explains that the resilience and work ethic required of him on the court has translated well into his work with prospective students. 

“First thing I tell every student is, “If you don’t have confidence in yourself, who’s going to have confidence in you?” Carr said. “‘We want to get you in college. We know how to help you become a better student, but you have to be open-minded and willing to become a better student.’”  

As Drury expands its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative into the future, Carr describes the process as rewarding, educational, and trying, but worth it for being a part of the campus’s growth. “Having the ability to let those students know that not only are you welcome, you’re wanted and you’re loved. That’s the big thing for me,” he said.  

“Every day’s a memory,” Carr said. “If you don’t enjoy what you do everyday, then it becomes work. If you enjoy it and you’re passionate about it, it’s just a part of your life.” 

Featured image courtesy of Drury Admissions