Family man and former pro basketball player

Christian Benzon

Article and project: Marco Storm Braskov & Liv Thorsted
Published: 05/10 2023
Theme: The Lindbergh Community

Meet Christian Benzon, a dedicated family man, influencer, and former pro basketball player in the USA.

We've taken a trip to Østerbro to spend the day with Christian Benzon.

Learn about his journey from a life as a pro basketball player to an influencer, a life that was once filled with training and games but now revolves around content creation and family. Also, read about the niche he has chosen to immerse himself in and why it's important for him to contribute to more authentic relationships and representations on social media.

Read our interview with him and see his favorite styles from our AW23 collection.

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Interview

What is your name, occupation, and where do you live?

My name is Christian Benzon, and I work in content creation and customer success on a daily basis. I live in Østerbro, Copenhagen, with my family.

Where were you born and raised?

I was actually born and raised in this building, so even though I lived in the USA for seven years, I have actually returned to my childhood home. It's not exactly this apartment, but it's in this building.

Christian is wearing: 1927 shirt & technical suit pants

When and why did you start playing basketball?

The first time I started playing basketball... I should mention that I lived on the fourth floor, and I had an older sister who always walked me home from school, and when we climbed all these stairs, I was always out of breath.

She said, "See, it's because you don't exercise. You should come to the gym with me and play basketball." - and I tried, but unfortunately, I was too shy to start playing. I stood and watched most of the training, and I could hardly contain myself.

Three years later, my little brother started playing basketball, and I joined his training sessions and watched from the sidelines for several months. Eventually, the coach actually pulled me in and said, "Enough, Christian, now you come in and play." - and that's where it all started.

I started playing at the age of 9 in Nørrebrohallen, in a club called Stevnsgade, but after a year and a half, I moved to SISU, which is located in Gentofte. I spent four years there, followed by a stint in Croatia and then off to a boarding school before heading to the USA. I spent seven years there, and in the end, I finished my career in Denmark, where I played professionally, so I've been around a bit.

What is most important to you in life?

The most important thing for me is definitely family. There's no doubt about that.

There's actually not much else to say; it really is everything to me.

Where is your happy place?

I actually have two. I would say my family is my top priority, and that's my happy place, but I also experience it on the basketball court. It's as if when I step inside those four lines on the court, I leave all my thoughts behind and immerse myself in something and focus. It's almost like meditation for me.

Christian is wearing: Long sleeve tee & relaxed fit trousers

I think the most important decision I've ever made was probably when I chose to say goodbye to my basketball career and what I had going for myself to make room to be present in my daughter's life.

- Christian Benzon

What is the most important decision you've made in your life?

I think the most important decision I've ever made was probably when I chose to say goodbye to my basketball career and what I had going for myself to make room to be present in my daughter's life.

That's definitely what I feel has given me the most, and it was definitely a difficult decision because it took me from the age of 9 to becoming an adult to become a professional basketball player. To have to give that up before reaching my peak but at the same time knowing that there's something better, and that's my daughter. Not to say that I should live through her, but I found more joy in experiencing things with her rather than it being all about me.

Christian is wearing: 1927 shirt, wool coat & technical suit pants

How would you describe your style?

If you had asked me 10 years ago, I wore very tight clothing. Now I'm much more into what I feel comfortable in. That's actually one of the things I care most about when it comes to clothing. One thing is that I think it should look nice, but when I'm comfortable in it, I feel better about myself.

My go-to items: I've always been quite fond of pants and jeans. They probably make up most of my wardrobe. I used to be a big sneakerhead, and shoes meant a lot to me. At one point, it may sound exaggerated, but I owned over 70 pairs of shoes. It wasn't until a few years later, with most of them sitting on the shelf, that I realized, "Oh, I can only wear one pair of shoes at a time." So I sold most of the shoes, and to this day, I have only 4-5 pairs of shoes that I use a lot. I only replace a pair when another one is worn out.

Christian is wearing: Merino wool knit & loose fit jeans

What inspired you to collaborate with Lindbergh?

When I saw your different social profiles, the content you create, and your clothing, I thought it fit perfectly with my universe, and it was a great idea for us to collaborate. I think your styles are cool, but I also think the content you have on your profile is cool, so I could definitely see myself collaborating on that front. Something my wife and I care about a lot when we collaborate with brands is that we can see ourselves in it because we want to be loyal and authentic, not just to ourselves but to our followers

What are you dreaming about right now?

I dream of becoming self-employed with content creation. I feel that I'm making good progress, but my ultimate dream is to do it full-time, and that applies to both Instagram, TikTok, and other social platforms. Another dream I have is to get my daughters into playing basketball, but we'll take that step by step. Currently, they are more focused on dancing, but hopefully, they will also develop an interest in basketball at some point.

Christian is wearing: Merino wool knit & loose fit jeans

Fun fact about yourself?

A fun fact about me that I don't think people know is that at the beginning of 2023, a friend and I participated in White January, where we chose not to drink alcohol throughout January. It's not because I had a problem with alcohol before, but of course, I had drunk alcohol in social situations. After that January, I could feel that I actually liked this. Not having hangovers and not waking up feeling sick or completely shattered. So I haven't had a drink in 2023 yet, and I've been to several parties, including 30th birthdays, and danced late into the night without having a drink. I've actually been surprised at how much fun you can have without needing to be intoxicated, and at the same time, waking up the next day without a hangover is so life-affirming. So that's a fun fact about me; I haven't drunk any alcohol in 2023. I'm not going to drink in 2023, and I haven't decided whether I'll continue with that, but that's a decision I'll make in due time.

What kind of content do you find most exciting right now?

I would say the content that I care most about and find the coolest is this portrayal of reality. I don't feel that we should expose everything, but I think we should be better at showing reality, everyday life. I understand that there are, of course, staged situations, and that's also a part of it, but the fact that we can show a genuine image of ourselves also makes me feel like we have a better connection with those who follow us.

I'd like to add that because I've created a lot of content where you follow my family and me in everyday situations, I actually had a young boy recently ask if we always just have a good time and if life is always that great? I responded with a personal answer, telling him that no, our lives are not like that. Our lives are like everyone else's, with ups and downs, and I think it's incredibly important to show that on social media. In general, there should be room to show the good things, but there should also be room to show or at least address some of the things that are not always popular or not so pleasant to talk about. So I'm really grateful for that question he asked me.

Christian is wearing: Long sleeve tee & relaxed fit trousers