Kirk James Hinrich ( HYNE-rik born January 2, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. A point guard, he played in the NBA from 2003 to 2016 and was also a member of the U.S. national team.
Growing up in Sioux City, Iowa, Hinrich was exposed to basketball at an early age. His father, Jim, coached him from the third grade through high school. As a high school senior, Hinrich was named the 1999 Co-Iowa Mr. Basketball, along with future college teammate and roommate Nick Collison. Hinrich originally committed to play basketball at Iowa State but when the coach at the time, Tim Floyd, took the head coaching position for the NBA's Chicago Bulls, Hinrich changed his mind and decided to attend the University of Kansas. He helped Kansas to consecutive Final Fours in 2002 and 2003, his junior and senior seasons.
Hinrich was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the seventh pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, where he earned the nickname "Captain Kirk". He was the Bulls' all-time leader in three-point field goals until November 2024 when this was surpassed by Zach LaVine. After seven seasons with the Bulls, he had short stints with the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks before returning to the club in 2012. In 2016, he was traded back to the Atlanta Hawks.
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Early life
Hinrich was born to Jim and Nancy Hinrich of Sioux City, Iowa. His father played basketball at Briar Cliff College and later became a coach for Sioux City West High School. When Hinrich was about seven years old, Jim Hinrich visited Ray Nacke, his old college coach, and asked if Kirk could enroll in Nacke's summer camp for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Despite Nacke's hesitations, Hinrich was allowed to attend the camp, and played well against the older children. After just two years, Hinrich advanced to Nacke's camp for young teenagers, and excelled there, as well.
Hinrich also played football at the quarterback position, and baseball as a pitcher. However, basketball was Hinrich's passion. His role model was Seattle SuperSonics star Gary Payton, a player known for his strong defense. With his father as coach, Hinrich's basketball team at Sioux City West High School achieved an 82–9 record over four years, and won the Iowa state championship when Hinrich was a senior. When he graduated, Hinrich was West High's all-time leader in points, steals, and assists.
College career
As a freshman with the University of Kansas Jayhawks, Hinrich tallied 123 assists and received the Clyde Lovellette Most Improved Player Award. The next year, he ranked eighth in the nation in assists per game (6.9), led his team in steals, and set a Kansas Jayhawks record with a .505 three-point shooting mark. Hinrich was also voted onto the Associated Press All-Big 12 Second Team and earned All Third Team status from the NCAA coaches.
In his fourth and final season at Kansas, Hinrich, along with power forward Nick Collison, led the Jayhawks to the Final Four, and was voted onto the All-Big 12 Second Team by coaches and the media. He led his team in free throw shooting and three-point shooting, contributed 5.0 assists per game and received Kansas' Ted Owens Defensive Player Award. Kansas lost to Syracuse in the championship Game but Hinrich was named the Midwest Region's Most Outstanding Player. He ranked second on his team in scoring and led it in three-pointers, while also contributing 3.5 assists per game, 3.9 rebounds per game and 1.9 steals a game. Following the season, he was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press.
On March 1, 2009, Kansas retired Hinrich's number 10 jersey and raised it to the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse. Hinrich's was the 25th jersey to be retired by Kansas and is an honor reserved for the highest caliber of player, which includes names like Wilt Chamberlain and Paul Pierce. Hinrich was quoted as saying: "I don't know if there's a greater honor in basketball than to have your jersey hanging in the most historic basketball building in the world. It's an unbelievable honor."
Professional career
Chicago Bulls (2003–2010)
Hinrich was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 2003 NBA draft with the seventh overall pick, resulting in mild surprise because he had been expected to be a mid to late first-round draft pick. Some doubted that his college game would translate successfully to the professional league, in part because he played shooting guard for his final two years in college and was considered too small to play that position professionally. Hinrich's high selection in the draft is credited to a good workout in front of NBA team scouts. The Bulls needed a point guard, as Jay Williams was severely injured in a motorcycle accident. After being picked by the Bulls, Hinrich said he knew they had a need at point guard: "I know Jay... [W]e came out of high school the same year. He's a great guy. I feel for him, but the rumors were Chicago was going to take a point guard, so I had a good chance to be drafted. The situation is tough. I know everyone is kind of in mourning about it. ... But if he's not able to play anymore, which I hope is not the case, they're going to have a need for a point guard."
Hinrich suffered an acute viral infection shortly before the beginning of his first season, requiring months to fully recover. However, he played well after his recovery, showing a continued good grasp of fundamental skills, solid playmaking, leadership, and a surprising defensive intensity. He solidified his position as the Bulls' starting point guard and was named to the NBA's 2004 All-Rookie first team. He held the distinction for being the only rookie during that season to record a triple-double, with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists versus the Golden State Warriors on February 28, 2004. During this same season, Hinrich's shot accuracy inside the three-point line (38.6 percent on field goals) was actually poorer than from behind it (39.0 percent on three-pointers). Hinrich was named to the NBA's "Got Milk? All-Rookie First Team" along with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh. He was also awarded the Bulls' Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award or Player of the Year award (POY) for the 2003–04 season.
In his second year, Hinrich's field goal percentage went up to .397, a marginal improvement. Hinrich is known for his intense on-court demeanor; he was involved in a minor scuffle between the Bulls and the Washington Wizards in the preseason of his second year in the league, for which he was fined $10,000. On a drive to the basket, then Wizards player Larry Hughes head butted Hinrich out of bounds, which prompted Bulls players Antonio Davis and Eddy Curry to get into a small fight with Wizards center Brendan Haywood. Hughes, Haywood, Curry and Davis were all suspended at least one game by the NBA.
Washington Wizards (2010–2011)
On July 8, 2010, Hinrich was traded to the Washington Wizards along with draft rights to forward Kevin Seraphin in exchange for draft rights to Vladimir Veremeenko. Hinrich began to wear glasses during gameplay during his tenure with the Wizards after learning from Wizards optometrist Keith Smithson that he could lose sight in his left eye if he was hit. In his short tenure with the Wizards, he averaged 11.1 points, 4.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game.
Atlanta Hawks (2011–2012)
On February 23, 2011, Hinrich was traded to the Atlanta Hawks along with Hilton Armstrong in exchange for Mike Bibby, Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans and a first-round pick in the 2011 NBA draft. At the end of the 2010–11 season, the Hawks made the playoffs as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. In Game 6 of the first round against the Orlando Magic, Hinrich injured his hamstring and subsequently missed the entire second round of the playoffs in which the Hawks ended up losing to Hinrich's former team, the Chicago Bulls.
Hinrich missed the first eighteen games of the 2011–12 NBA season after undergoing left shoulder surgery. During the season, Hinrich averaged career lows in points per game at 6.6, assists per game at 2.8, and minutes per game at 25.8.
Return to Chicago (2012–2016)
On July 23, 2012, Hinrich signed a two-year contract to return to the Chicago Bulls.
In the absence of point guard Derrick Rose, Kirk began the 2012–13 season as the Bulls' starting point guard. Hinrich struggled with various injuries throughout the campaign, including an elbow infection and a stress reaction in his foot, shooting just 38% from the field. He finished the year averaging 7.7 points, 5.2 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 29 minutes per game. On April 27, 2013, Hinrich played an excellent game in Game 4 of Round 1 of the 2013 NBA Playoffs vs. the Nets, scoring 18 points and dishing out 14 assists in 60 minutes of the action as the Bulls defeated the Nets 142–134 in triple overtime to give the Bulls a 3–1 series lead. However, Hinrich missed the rest of the postseason after rupturing his calf in the second quarter of that game. The Bulls were eliminated in the second round by the Miami Heat.
Hinrich started the 2013–14 season as a bench player backing up Derrick Rose, but when Rose suffered a torn meniscus ending his season just 10 games in, Hinrich again became the starter. While he struggled to start the year, shooting just 36.4% from the field and 28% on 3 pointers, he improved immensely following the All-Star Break, shooting 42.8% from the field and 43.7% from 3 for the remainder of the season. He also enjoyed a much healthier regular season campaign, with his 73 games played being his most since the 2009–10 season. His 9.1 points per game average was also his highest since the 2010–11 season.
On July 21, 2014, Hinrich re-signed with the Bulls to a reported two-year, $5.6 million contract.
On June 29, 2015, Hinrich exercised his player option with the Bulls for the 2015–16 season.
Return to Atlanta (2016)
On February 18, 2016, Hinrich was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade involving the Bulls and the Utah Jazz. Hinrich's final NBA game was Game 2 of the 2016 Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 4, 2016. In that game, the Hawks would lose 98 – 123 to the Cleveland Cavaliers with Hinrich recording 3 points and 2 rebounds.
International career
In July 2006, Hinrich was officially named to the U.S. national basketball team that would compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. He was initially invited to participate in February 2006, but declined due to the pressure of making a decision in the midst of a competitive NBA season with the Chicago Bulls. After his 2005–06 season ended, however, Hinrich changed his mind and accepted a spot on the team's roster. Hinrich said of the incident:
"When I initially turned it down, I don't know if I really knew what I was doing. It was in the middle of a long season. I was focused on what we were doing. After the season was over, I was thinking that I someday might regret it. To get another chance to reconsider, I feel lucky."
The roster first fielded more than 20 players, but it was soon cut down to 15 players, among which was Hinrich. When the final roster was announced, Hinrich was chosen as one of the 12 players set to compete in the FIBA World Championship in Japan. After Hinrich learned of his grandfather's death, he briefly left the US training camp in Las Vegas early in the morning of July 25 and returned to his hometown of Sioux City, Iowa.
Hinrich started an exhibition game against Lithuania on August 13, 2006, and scored 10 points and 2 steals in a US win. After the game, Hinrich was asked about starting the game. He responded, "We're playing in groups right now. I know when I get my time, I just try to make the best of it, make sure our team is successful. It's one of those deals when you play in groups in spurts like that, it's a little bit tougher. But, you don't hold back and give it everything you got because you know you'll be rested a lot."
In the FIBA world Championship semi-final, Team USA played against the Greece national team. With 2:41 to play in the game, Hinrich connected on a three-point shot to bring the US within 5 points, but was then called for an unsportsmanlike foul on Greece center Sofoklis Schortsanitis. With 45 seconds left, he knocked down another three-pointer to pull the US within four. Hinrich was then fouled out when he intentionally hit a Greek player to stop the shot clock. Despite the US effort, the Greek sealed the deal with free throws and won 101–95. The US team then played against the Argentinian team for the bronze medal. In the game, Hinrich played against his former Bulls' teammate Andrés Nocioni. The US went on to win 96–81, and took home the bronze medal.
Personal life
Hinrich was engaged to Jill Fisher in 2006. He married her on July 7, 2007. His wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Kenzie, in 2008. Hinrich's wife gave birth to their second daughter, Kyla, in September 2011. On September 12, 2014, Hinrich's wife gave birth to twins, a boy, Kolton, and a girl, Kinley. During his NBA career, Hinrich lived in Bannockburn, Illinois. Upon retiring from the NBA in 2017, Hinrich and his family moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where Hinrich was hired at Sanford Power as a lead basketball specialist.