Christopher Bess — known to his fans as Coach CB — is a slam-dunk to make it in the NBA Hall of Fame. It'll just be a few decades.
At 5-years-old, Christopher, the son of Tarboro High School basketball coach Reggie Bess, has taken the internet by storm. In viral videos, the North Carolina preschooler paces the sidelines, sits courtside with his arms folded, and takes a knee when concentrating on a play. They’re all moves he picked up from shadowing his Dad.
Christopher has his own coaching board on which he draws up X’s and O’s, and he also delivers pre-game locker room pep talks. Sample line: “When I coach my whole butt off, ya’ll play ya’ll whole butt off.”
When people ask Christopher if he wants to be a coach when he grows up, he responds, “I already am.”
“He’s obsessed with basketball,” Christopher’s mom Natalie Bess tells TODAY.com. “During the NBA playoffs we’ve been letting him stay up late because he gets so upset when we don’t. He changes into khaki pants and a white shirt with a collar and puts a chair right in front of the TV.”
Natalie can’t get over how similar Christopher’s mannerisms are to her husbands.
“They have the exact same posture,” she notes. "It's pretty incredible."
At games, Christopher sits on a bench with the players.
“We were a little worried, but the team is really supportive and they look out for him,” Natalie says. “They’re really patient.”
Christopher, who was named the 2024 Youth Coach of the Year, has more than 268,000 followers on Instagram. His account is filled with supportive comments praising his work ethic.
“Coach needs a Gatorade endorsement,” one person wrote, in reference to Christopher’s favorite drink.
Wrote another, “Send him to the Warriors. Get us ready in the off season please and Thank You
