Marquese Chriss

Early life and high school

As a youth growing up in Sacramento, California, Chriss played baseball and American football. Between fifth grade and eighth grade, he showed promise as a tight end, defensive end and safety. However, during a game in his eighth-grade season, Chriss landed awkwardly on his shoulder while attempting to catch a long pass and broke his collarbone. His mother subsequently disallowed Chriss to play football from then on, and he was forced to choose basketball instead.

Chriss attended Pleasant Grove High School in Elk Grove, California. As a freshman at Pleasant Grove, Chriss was one of 25 students who showed up for tryouts. The school only had junior varsity and varsity teams, which meant that roster spots were limited, especially for a player like Chriss who previously had zero competitive experience in the sport. Chriss almost didn't make it, but his energy and effort stood out. He began the season as a reserve before eventually working his way into the starting lineup. A year later, he started for the varsity team and led the school to a 28–6 record and a state championship. Colleges began offering Chriss scholarships that season, with the first coming from Northern Arizona University. In January 2014, he committed to the University of Washington.

As a senior in 2014–15, Chris averaged 21.9 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. Scout ranked him as the No. 55 recruit in the nation for the class of 2015 and Rivals ranked him as the No. 56 recruit, while ESPN and 247Sports.com both ranked him at No. 60.

College career

Chriss had a phenomenal start at Washington, recording a double-double with a season-high 29 points and 10 rebounds in the second game of the season against Mount St. Mary's. In the following weeks, however, his production dipped because he developed a habit of collecting unnecessary fouls. He fouled out of three straight non-conference games during the Battle 4 Atlantis in November 2015. His mother stepped in once again with a decision that likely saved his season in terms of productivity. She suggested Chriss consult a sports psychologist, and the Huskies accommodated her request. Chriss was forced to learn to play defense without fouling. He went on to have one of the top freshman campaigns in their program's history, finishing with the fourth-most points by a freshman (467), fifth-most rebounds (183), and the most blocks (55), the last of which being a freshman record there. His three-point shooting improved greatly as the season went on – he shot 6-for-26 (23.1 percent) from beyond the arc during the first 19 games of the season, and went 15-for-34 (44.1 percent) during the last 15 contests. He started all 34 games in 2015–16 and averaged 13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He subsequently earned honorable mention Pac-12 All-Freshmen selection.

On March 23, 2016, Chriss declared for the 2016 NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.

Phoenix Suns (2016–present)

Throughout the draft process, Chriss went from being a considerable late-lottery or mid-first round talent to rising up in the draft as a potential Top 3 draft candidate. In the days leading up to the draft, Chriss agreed to terms on a multi-year footwear and apparel endorsement deal with Nike. He ended up being selected with the eighth overall pick in the draft by the Sacramento Kings. Chriss was later traded to the Phoenix Suns on draft night. He became the first recruit outside of the top 50 rankings to be drafted in the top 10 as a one-and-done player since the rule was instituted in 2005. On July 7, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Suns and joined the team for the 2016 NBA Summer League. Chriss managed three games for the Suns during the Summer League, averaging 10 points and 9 rebounds per game, before developing an illness that ruled him out for the rest of the tournament.

Chriss made his debut for the Suns in their season opener on October 26, 2016 against the team that originally drafted him, the Sacramento Kings. In 22 minutes off the bench, he recorded seven points, four rebounds, two assists and one block in a 113–94 loss. With Chriss playing alongside Devin Booker and fellow rookie Dragan Bender, the Suns became the first NBA team to get three teenagers on the floor in the same game. He made his first start for the Suns on November 8 against the Portland Trail Blazers, recording seven points, four rebounds and one block in 20 minutes of play during the 124–121 loss. In his third game as a starter on November 12, Chriss scored 16 points in a 122–104 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. On December 13, he recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds in a 113–111 overtime win over the New York Knicks. On January 3, 2017, Chriss scored 18 points in a 99–90 win over the Miami Heat. On January 25, he was named in the U.S. Team for the 2017 Rising Stars Challenge. Five days later, Chriss had his first 20-point game in a 115–96 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. On February 2, 2017, he was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in January, after averaging 8.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals for the month. Two days later, he scored a career-high 27 points in a 137–112 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. On March 5, 2017, he scored 10 points and had a career-best five blocked shots in a 109–106 win over the Boston Celtics. His five blocks were the most by a Suns rookie since Amar'e Stoudemire had six in November 2002.

Personal life

Chriss is a fourth-oldest sibling of 9 brothers and sisters. He has three older sisters and two younger sisters, while Chriss is the oldest of four brothers in his family. His mother is Shawntae Wright, a licensed clinical social worker under Placer County, California. Chriss' stepdad, Michael Wright, had lived in Tacoma, Washington, and the visits to the Northwest was considered an influence to him going to the University of Washington.