NBA Star and Wife Tie Knot for 13th Time!
posted 2008-07-21

NBA Star and Wife Tie Knot for 13th Time!

By Jett Stone

Who said you can only marry someone you love once? Why not keep the flame alive by saying "I do" every year? Well, that"s the mantra of NBA star Doug Christie and his wife, Jackie, who continued their annual tradition of renewing marriage vows by celebrating their 13th anniversary. On July 8th, the Christies had a lavish private ceremony atop the world famous Seattle Space Needle and donated $100,000 to charity in honor of their continued commitment to each other.

The veteran guard, his wife, and their daughter Chani are active philanthropists, and members of various nonprofit organizations, including the Black HIV/AIDS Institute and the Seattle-based Millionaires Club. Chani was recently named YMCA National Youth Spokesperson and the U.S. youth ambassador for HIV/AIDS Awareness.

Aside from their charitable work, the power couple shared the details of their unique bond co-authoring, No Ordinary Love: A True Story of Love and Basketball, a book about mutual respect, friendship, and how a commitment to monogamy are the bedrock of marriage. Their family life was also filmed in a rather short-lived reality television series on BET J called The Christies: Committed. In the past they"ve also been known to put new meaning to the lock in wedlock.

Team sources and past articles have reported that Jackie accompanies her husband whenever a female reporter interviews him, and she often chats with him on the cell phone while following his team"s charter bus. In a now-infamous New York Times article that ran in 2002, Jackie expressed her discontent with the idea of her husband interacting with other women. “Doug is allowed to look at females. I would prefer he didn"t,” she said.

But the Christies aren"t the only celebrities toting their intense relationship – they"ve also inspired others to renew their vows. “We are so happy to see so many people now choosing to marry multiple times, or renew their vows privately and publicly,” Doug said in a press release. “Our hearts warm when someone says thank you for inspiring us.”

You can be sure their love will last long enough for their already-planned 14th anniversary party. They hope to invite 100 gay and lesbian couples to join them in their next extravagant pledge of allegiance.