Christian Burns played for the Rams from 2005-07
Coach Herb Magee had some news for his star player, Christian Burns, in the locker room. It was late in the 2006-07 season and the Rams’ senior center already had earned CACC Player of the Year honors.
Magee informed Burns that he had been chosen the Division II Player of the Year by the nation’s athletic communications staffs. Of course, the award put Burns in elite company, with just one student-athlete in each division of the NCAA earning the honor. The Division I recipient that season was a freshman at the University of Texas named Kevin Durant.
The moment is one of many fond memories held by Burns of his time at then-Philadelphia University. Among them is playing for Magee, the Hall of Fame coach.
“It seemed like every week there was another record the guy was breaking,” said Burns. “I remember I had a crazy game and Herb hit a milestone. I just remember how many people were there. All of the Big 5 coaches and Chuck (Charles Barkley) were there.”
The game that Burns is referring to is believed to be a thrilling 65-60 overtime victory for the Rams against Wilmington on February 1, 2007. That night on the court that bears his name, Magee became the winningest coach in Division II history, picking up his 829
th triumph. Burns led the way with a 34-point, 17-rebound performance.
Now in his 16
th season in the professional ranks, Burns had quite the journey that brought him to Philadelphia University and that historic night.
A native of Hamilton, N.J., Burns was a “late bloomer” as a basketball player. He also played soccer and was a high jumper in track & field. As Burns began to develop his game on the court, people started to take notice.
“My coach started getting phone calls about me and told me that there were schools interested in offering me a scholarship,” explained Burns. “I quit soccer in my junior year of high school.”
Ultimately, Burns took an opportunity at the Division I level and played in 48 games for Quinnipiac over two seasons from 2003-05. However, Burns felt a change was needed after his sophomore campaign.
“It ended up not being a good fit,” said Burns. “My dad’s best friend had some sort of connection at PhilaU, knew someone that knew Herb. He watched my game film and brought me in. I wanted to be closer to home too so it was a no-brainer.”
Burns added more punch to a lineup that already included Tayron Thomas, the program’s all-time leading scorer who went on to be named an All-American in Burns’s first season with the Rams, 2005-06.
“We were ranked number one in the country entering the season,” said Burns. “Tayron was the leading scorer in college basketball that year. It didn’t end how we wanted but it was a good year.”
PhilaU went 20-11 in 2005-06 but was ineligible for the CACC Tournament as a first-year member of the conference. The Rams also missed out on the NCAA Tournament.
Burns went on to dominate in his senior campaign, averaging 21.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. In addition to his national player of the year award, Burns was chosen to the NABC All-America Team by the Division II coaches. The Rams posted a 20-10 record but suffered a tough 67-65 loss to Bridgeport in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, ending Burns’s collegiate career.
However, Burns’s playing days were far from over.
“The 76ers brought me in for a pre-draft workout and I went to the NBA Draft Combine,” remembered Burns. “We thought I had a chance to get drafted late in the second round but it didn’t happen.”
Although Burns did not hear his name called, the 76ers invited him to play on their NBA Summer League team. At that point, Burns’s options were limited to the NBA’s development league or pursuing a career overseas.
“The D-League, as it was called at the time, did not have as high of a reputation back then as it does now as the G-League; so I decided to sign overseas with the same team that Tayron Thomas was playing for.”
Burns spent his first professional season playing in Poland, starting a long and successful pro career in Europe that continues today. He suited up for teams in Portugal, Germany, Ukraine, Israel, Russia, Czechia, and the United Arab Emirates before settling in Italy for the past seven years.
“I played in a different country each of my first nine years,” said Burns. “I then became a citizen of Italy and have stayed ever since. It helps your value as a player.”
Due to his Italian citizenship, Burns even had the opportunity to play at the international level, representing Italy at the 2017 European Championships and helping the squad reach the quarterfinals.
“To represent a country is an honor, especially Italy. My mom and wife are Italian so it was very special.”
Burns currently plays for Germani Brescia in the Lega Basket Serie A, the top pro league in Italy. While he has had a positive experience during his career, it has not come without its challenges.
“I could not ask for anymore more,” said Burns. “It’s been a blessing but also difficult being away from family. I am away for 10 months every year from my parents and my sister. I’ve had grandparents pass away during that time. I try to see as many people as I can every June and July when I come back to the U.S.”
Now 37, Burns has started to think about the end of his playing days. He plans to play two more seasons before stepping away to spend more time with his family, including his wife – who he met at PhilaU, their 13-year-old son, and their 8-year-old daughter.
“I think I could physically play longer if I wanted to; but my son is getting older and going to start high school soon. He is fed up with overseas living. He wants to be in the U.S. where all of his friends are. We have already decided that my family is going to move back next year while I finish out my career.”
As far as his retirement plans, Burns does not see himself joining the coaching ranks. He wants to become an agent and help players get opportunities to play overseas, just like the assistance he received early in his career.
“I think I would be very good at it,” explained Burns. “I have seen all of the leagues and all of the clubs. I know their budgets and everything so I think it would be a good fit.”
