Mr. Laz
01-31-2005, 12:11 PM
Prized Bull
http://www.kansascity.com/images/kansascity/kansascitystar/news/Sp31_Hinrich.jpg
Getty Images
Former KU star Kirk Hinrich is Heading
the Bulls' resurgence this season by
leading the team in both scoring and assists.
Hinrich becomes a favorite of fans, players in Chicago
Posted on Mon, Jan. 31, 2005
By KEVIN KADUK
The Kansas City Star
CHICAGO — The statue of Michael Jordan stands outside the United Center, a reminder that every future Bulls player will be held, perhaps unfairly, against a legendary measuring stick.
Inside the arena is a different story. From programs to hallway exhibits, Kirk Hinrich is quickly becoming the new face of the franchise.
In pregame festivities, amid lasers, spotlights and the night's biggest cheer, Hinrich is always the last to be introduced. In the team's advertising campaign, he shares time with team legend Norm Van Lier inside a barbershop. Together, they advise fans to stay loyal. “Through Thick and Thin” is this year's slogan.
At the team's gift store, Hinrich's No. 12 sells the best.
“We can't keep them in stock,” says the woman who oversees the supply of children's jerseys. “All the kids want Hinrich.”
At 24 years old, he is living the NBA life, playing basketball for one of the most recognizable teams in the world. He is helping the Bulls out of the muck, out of a six-year malaise that began when Jordan left in 1998.
It seems strange to outsiders. A few years ago, he was a college kid living in the Jayhawker Towers. Today he is walking in the oversized footsteps of possibly the best player to ever play the game.
But Hinrich insists it doesn't faze him. Ask the obvious question — Does this ever seem surreal? — and he just shrugs.
“I always thought about getting here,” Hinrich says. “It really doesn't seem that strange to me.”
Apparently neither does his team's current situation. After starting the season with a nine-game losing streak, Hinrich and the “Baby Bulls” staged a remarkable resurrection, winning 22 of their next 32 games. They have won 12 of their last 14 games and are in position to grab a playoff spot for the first time since 1998.
Hinrich is at the center of it all, directing the show as four rookies come into their own and Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler start playing consistently.
He is the team's leader in scoring (15.8 points per game) and assists (7.0 ) He is the only Bull to start all 42 games this season. In February he will represent the team as a second-year player in the Rookie Challenge. A berth on the actual All-Star team — though a long shot — is being discussed in Chicago media circles.
Talk to Bulls coach Scott Skiles, and he predicts a bright future for Hinrich — should he continue on his current path. Hinrich is not your prototypical NBA guard. He can do whatever Skiles asks of him.
“(Kirk) is not really a point guard, he's not really a two-guard,” Skiles says. “He's just a guard and a good basketball player, which is what we like. For what we do in our system, he is really valuable.”
Down in the United Center locker room, before an anticipated matchup with Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets, Hinrich emerges to sign a jersey for that night's silent auction for team charities. The locker next to Hinrich contains only a Burberry scarf and a lamb's wool coat.
Neither item belongs to Hinrich. They might belong to a worker for the team. No one is sure. No Bulls player dares occupy that locker, which used to belong to Michael Jordan. Hinrich's reluctance to talk about MJ suggests that he and his teammates are doing their own thing here, that they are the first squad in seven years to stand up to the championship ghosts.
“That one just stays open,” says Hinrich, pointing over his shoulder. “No one's moving in there.”
***
The fans in Chicago have waited so long for this. They don't need another NBA championship, but they want a team that plays hard, maybe even makes the playoffs.
For the last six seasons, the Bulls ran up a horrible 119-341 record. Still, the fans came out, ranking among the tops in league attendance and saving their biggest cheers for Cuppy Coffee in the Dunkin' Donuts scoreboard race.
After his rookie season, Hinrich can relate to wishing for a winner. He showed up in Chicago with a career full of state championship runs and Final Four berths. But he was blasted awake by the Bulls' mediocrity in 2003-04. Although Hinrich had a good season — he was selected the team's player of the year and made the NBA All-Rookie first team — the Bulls crawled to a 23-59 record.
For the first time in his career, Hinrich was looking at a year that ended with the last game of the regular season.
“It stunk because you'd come out and you'd practice three hours a day,” Hinrich says. “But then you wouldn't have anything to look forward to. In college, there was so much excitement by mid-March. In the pros, everyone was just trying to get the season done.”
Throughout the season, Hinrich traded calls with former Kansas teammate Nick Collison, who was upset because a shoulder injury was keeping him out for the entire season in Seattle. Hinrich was upset because the Bulls were losing so much.
“Neither of us had ever been in a position like that before,” Collison says. “We'd talk about it some, then move on to other things.”
Hinrich also relied on the advice of his father, who would often travel to the games. (Jim and Nancy Hinrich have already been to 20 games this season.) Hinrich still felt frustrated. On a late-season trip to Miami and Atlanta, he hit the wall. The losing was “killing him,” says Jim Hinrich, who is boys basketball coach at North Kansas City High School.
“I liked it here, and I loved Chicago,” Kirk Hinrich says. “I like the organization and thought they had a good plan for winning — but I definitely wanted to win.”
***
When the Bulls started the season with nine straight losses, the fans, media, even some players got the feeling: Here we go again. Hinrich, however, says he saw what general manager John Paxson was trying to do through the draft. Four rookies were on the team's roster. All were selected from winning backgrounds.
Ben Gordon was a champion at Connecticut. Andres Nocioni turned heads by winning a gold medal at the Olympics with Argentina. Chris Duhon (who won a college title in 2001) and Luol Deng were from powerhouse Duke.
“I think a lot of (the reason for the losing streak) was that we didn't really know each other” Hinrich says. “We were still trying to find out what kind of team we could be.”
By mid-December, the team started to come around. Gordon, a shooting guard, began playing well off the bench. Duhon, a natural point guard, finally grasped the offense. The development of each allowed Hinrich to freelance more within the offense. Nocioni and Deng became pivotal swingmen. Curry fought off trade rumors with several dominating performances. Chandler, drafted in the first round with Curry in 2001, embraced a role coming off the bench. Skiles' tough-love coaching also seemed to start working.
Before long, the Bulls ripped off five straight wins, followed quickly by a seven-game surge. Hinrich led the way, scoring 28 points in a win over the Timberwolves and 22 in a victory over the Celtics. Since the first losing streak, Hinrich has led the Bulls in scoring eight times in 31 games.
The Bulls started to roll. With the resurgence came attention from the national media. Hinrich was the subject of an article in The New York Times. The Washington Post and Sports Illustrated came calling. On Wednesday there was a photo shoot for The Sporting News with Hinrich and the rookie quartet.
In Seattle, Collison sees an increase in the amount of interview requests he receives. Strange, considering Collison is averaging only 14 minutes per game for the Sonics this season.
“It's OK,” he says. “I don't mind answering questions about Kirk.”
***
After a 111-107 victory over the Nuggets, Hinrich stands to face the Chicago media. Seventeen reporters and cameramen surround Hinrich, all seeking comment on his team-high, 23-point performance.
Across the locker room, Curry laughs.
“He's a superstar now. Sometimes you can't even talk to the kid,” says Curry, who is almost two years younger than Hinrich. “Nah, I'm just kidding. Kirk's my guy, my man.
“As soon as I met him, I knew we had a bond. You could tell he wanted to win right away. We clicked the first time we met.”
With the roster containing only six players born before 1980, the Bulls' locker room feels like a frat house at times. Oversized polos and jeans — not designer suits and flashy jewelry — make up the team's dress code.
“Kirk's kind of right in the middle of it all,” says veteran Antonio Davis, who is 17 years older than Deng, the team's youngest player. “He understands what the rookies like Gordon and Duhon are going through. But he also went through the losing with (Curry and Chandler). It's pretty helpful to have a leader that can straddle both sides like that.”
Starting Tuesday in New Jersey, the Bulls begin a stretch where they play 13 of 18 games on the road. They will face winning teams such as Miami, Dallas, Minnesota and Cleveland. The stretch will be a huge test to see whether the Bulls are for real. Hinrich knows that he will have to continue improving his game.
Skiles shares the same belief.
“His offense is still evolving,” Skiles says. “He needs to shoot the ball more consistently and take better care of the ball.”
Hinrich often draws comparisons to Paxson and Skiles, both solid NBA guards in their day. Skiles just laughs it off.
“Kirk's a way-better athlete that either of us ever were,” Skiles says. “He's got great foot speed, and he's an all-round better player. I think Kirk has a tremendous upside.”
Davis adds: “With the way he's already worked and shown himself to be a complete player, if you ask me, I think Kirk is going to be a Bull for life.”
***
After a short practice Wednesday, Hinrich heads home to sleep. Four games and wins in five days — plus a Midwestern blizzard — will do that to you.
“We played at Kansas, what, two times a week?” Hinrich says. “You don't know how tough the NBA is until you're actually here.”
He lives 5 minutes from the Bulls' practice facility in Deerfield, opting for a five-bedroom spread instead of the apartment in the city that he desires.
He'd never make it to practice on time otherwise. Plus his parents, his sister Jill and his college buddies have room to crash when they come to town.
Playing in Chicago means all those important to Hinrich are just an hour's plane ride away. Earlier this month, when Jim Hinrich underwent a procedure to clear a blocked artery, Kirk was on the first plane Sunday morning. He spent the day with his dad, flew back to Chicago the next morning and was playing against Golden State that night.
But forget about the jet-set NBA life.
“I'm not adjusted to having money yet,” says Hinrich, who will make more than $2 million this season. “I still get mad if I see something that's overpriced.”
His two big purchases have both been cars — a Hummer H2 and a modestly priced (for an NBA player) Chrysler 300. Last Christmas, Hinrich “went crazy” buying presents for his family and girlfriend. The mounting bills had Hinrich worried that he went over budget.
“It felt like I was spending so much,” Hinrich says. “Then I talked to my financial adviser and he told me that he was proud of me. That I had saved a lot of money and done a good job.”
Content with focusing on his game, Hinrich has shied away from the endorsement spotlight. He has a shoe deal with Converse and a basketball-card contract with Upper Deck. That's about it.
It will be an easy task should Hinrich look to take more endorsements in Chicago, says Chris Emens, a member of Hinrich's representation team.
“He's got the same kind of work ethic as a lot of Chicagoans,” Emens says. “He's not about the glitz and glamour, he just rolls up his sleeves and goes to work. I think Chicago really identifies with that.”
***
When he arrived in Chicago for his post-draft news conference, Hinrich found himself answering an inordinate amount of questions about his shaggy haircut.
“Hair by Goober,” wrote one columnist. “It's a cross between dance-hall hip and farm-boy flip,” wrote another. The amount of questions shocked Hinrich. His parents were a little irked.
“I don't think Kirk has ever been on a farm in his life,” Jim Hinrich says.
Hinrich has since adopted a shorter hairstyle, but only because he “felt like a change.” He has plans to grow it out again. As Hinrich knew, the Harry Potter-comparisons would stop the minute he proved he could play. Now look at him.
And look at the Bulls.
To reach Kevin Kaduk, sports reporter for The Star, call (816) 234-7742 or send e-mail to kkaduk@kcstar.com.
Hinrich's hightlights
2003-04
• Picked as the Bulls' player of the year
• Selected to NBA All-Rookie first team, finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting
• Registered the only triple-double (11 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) by a rookie in a game against Golden State on Feb. 28
• Led all rookies with 14 double-doubles
• Finished seventh in assists in the NBA — first among rookies
2004-05
• Leads Bulls with average of 15.8 points per game.
• Ranks eighth in the NBA with 7.0 assists per game.
• Ranks 18th in the NBA with 1.52 steals per game.
• Posted three straight double-doubles against Golden State (Nov. 17), Denver (Nov. 19) and LA Lakers (Nov. 21)
• Opened season with a career-high 34 points in a double-overtime loss to New Jersey
• Selected to play on the sophomore team in the Rookie Challenge, held during All-Star Weekend in Denver
The Chicago Bulls have struggled since Michael Jordan's departure — until this season.
http://www.kansascity.com/images/kansascity/kansascitystar/news/Sp31_Hinrich.jpg
Getty Images
Former KU star Kirk Hinrich is Heading
the Bulls' resurgence this season by
leading the team in both scoring and assists.
Hinrich becomes a favorite of fans, players in Chicago
Posted on Mon, Jan. 31, 2005
By KEVIN KADUK
The Kansas City Star
CHICAGO — The statue of Michael Jordan stands outside the United Center, a reminder that every future Bulls player will be held, perhaps unfairly, against a legendary measuring stick.
Inside the arena is a different story. From programs to hallway exhibits, Kirk Hinrich is quickly becoming the new face of the franchise.
In pregame festivities, amid lasers, spotlights and the night's biggest cheer, Hinrich is always the last to be introduced. In the team's advertising campaign, he shares time with team legend Norm Van Lier inside a barbershop. Together, they advise fans to stay loyal. “Through Thick and Thin” is this year's slogan.
At the team's gift store, Hinrich's No. 12 sells the best.
“We can't keep them in stock,” says the woman who oversees the supply of children's jerseys. “All the kids want Hinrich.”
At 24 years old, he is living the NBA life, playing basketball for one of the most recognizable teams in the world. He is helping the Bulls out of the muck, out of a six-year malaise that began when Jordan left in 1998.
It seems strange to outsiders. A few years ago, he was a college kid living in the Jayhawker Towers. Today he is walking in the oversized footsteps of possibly the best player to ever play the game.
But Hinrich insists it doesn't faze him. Ask the obvious question — Does this ever seem surreal? — and he just shrugs.
“I always thought about getting here,” Hinrich says. “It really doesn't seem that strange to me.”
Apparently neither does his team's current situation. After starting the season with a nine-game losing streak, Hinrich and the “Baby Bulls” staged a remarkable resurrection, winning 22 of their next 32 games. They have won 12 of their last 14 games and are in position to grab a playoff spot for the first time since 1998.
Hinrich is at the center of it all, directing the show as four rookies come into their own and Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler start playing consistently.
He is the team's leader in scoring (15.8 points per game) and assists (7.0 ) He is the only Bull to start all 42 games this season. In February he will represent the team as a second-year player in the Rookie Challenge. A berth on the actual All-Star team — though a long shot — is being discussed in Chicago media circles.
Talk to Bulls coach Scott Skiles, and he predicts a bright future for Hinrich — should he continue on his current path. Hinrich is not your prototypical NBA guard. He can do whatever Skiles asks of him.
“(Kirk) is not really a point guard, he's not really a two-guard,” Skiles says. “He's just a guard and a good basketball player, which is what we like. For what we do in our system, he is really valuable.”
Down in the United Center locker room, before an anticipated matchup with Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets, Hinrich emerges to sign a jersey for that night's silent auction for team charities. The locker next to Hinrich contains only a Burberry scarf and a lamb's wool coat.
Neither item belongs to Hinrich. They might belong to a worker for the team. No one is sure. No Bulls player dares occupy that locker, which used to belong to Michael Jordan. Hinrich's reluctance to talk about MJ suggests that he and his teammates are doing their own thing here, that they are the first squad in seven years to stand up to the championship ghosts.
“That one just stays open,” says Hinrich, pointing over his shoulder. “No one's moving in there.”
***
The fans in Chicago have waited so long for this. They don't need another NBA championship, but they want a team that plays hard, maybe even makes the playoffs.
For the last six seasons, the Bulls ran up a horrible 119-341 record. Still, the fans came out, ranking among the tops in league attendance and saving their biggest cheers for Cuppy Coffee in the Dunkin' Donuts scoreboard race.
After his rookie season, Hinrich can relate to wishing for a winner. He showed up in Chicago with a career full of state championship runs and Final Four berths. But he was blasted awake by the Bulls' mediocrity in 2003-04. Although Hinrich had a good season — he was selected the team's player of the year and made the NBA All-Rookie first team — the Bulls crawled to a 23-59 record.
For the first time in his career, Hinrich was looking at a year that ended with the last game of the regular season.
“It stunk because you'd come out and you'd practice three hours a day,” Hinrich says. “But then you wouldn't have anything to look forward to. In college, there was so much excitement by mid-March. In the pros, everyone was just trying to get the season done.”
Throughout the season, Hinrich traded calls with former Kansas teammate Nick Collison, who was upset because a shoulder injury was keeping him out for the entire season in Seattle. Hinrich was upset because the Bulls were losing so much.
“Neither of us had ever been in a position like that before,” Collison says. “We'd talk about it some, then move on to other things.”
Hinrich also relied on the advice of his father, who would often travel to the games. (Jim and Nancy Hinrich have already been to 20 games this season.) Hinrich still felt frustrated. On a late-season trip to Miami and Atlanta, he hit the wall. The losing was “killing him,” says Jim Hinrich, who is boys basketball coach at North Kansas City High School.
“I liked it here, and I loved Chicago,” Kirk Hinrich says. “I like the organization and thought they had a good plan for winning — but I definitely wanted to win.”
***
When the Bulls started the season with nine straight losses, the fans, media, even some players got the feeling: Here we go again. Hinrich, however, says he saw what general manager John Paxson was trying to do through the draft. Four rookies were on the team's roster. All were selected from winning backgrounds.
Ben Gordon was a champion at Connecticut. Andres Nocioni turned heads by winning a gold medal at the Olympics with Argentina. Chris Duhon (who won a college title in 2001) and Luol Deng were from powerhouse Duke.
“I think a lot of (the reason for the losing streak) was that we didn't really know each other” Hinrich says. “We were still trying to find out what kind of team we could be.”
By mid-December, the team started to come around. Gordon, a shooting guard, began playing well off the bench. Duhon, a natural point guard, finally grasped the offense. The development of each allowed Hinrich to freelance more within the offense. Nocioni and Deng became pivotal swingmen. Curry fought off trade rumors with several dominating performances. Chandler, drafted in the first round with Curry in 2001, embraced a role coming off the bench. Skiles' tough-love coaching also seemed to start working.
Before long, the Bulls ripped off five straight wins, followed quickly by a seven-game surge. Hinrich led the way, scoring 28 points in a win over the Timberwolves and 22 in a victory over the Celtics. Since the first losing streak, Hinrich has led the Bulls in scoring eight times in 31 games.
The Bulls started to roll. With the resurgence came attention from the national media. Hinrich was the subject of an article in The New York Times. The Washington Post and Sports Illustrated came calling. On Wednesday there was a photo shoot for The Sporting News with Hinrich and the rookie quartet.
In Seattle, Collison sees an increase in the amount of interview requests he receives. Strange, considering Collison is averaging only 14 minutes per game for the Sonics this season.
“It's OK,” he says. “I don't mind answering questions about Kirk.”
***
After a 111-107 victory over the Nuggets, Hinrich stands to face the Chicago media. Seventeen reporters and cameramen surround Hinrich, all seeking comment on his team-high, 23-point performance.
Across the locker room, Curry laughs.
“He's a superstar now. Sometimes you can't even talk to the kid,” says Curry, who is almost two years younger than Hinrich. “Nah, I'm just kidding. Kirk's my guy, my man.
“As soon as I met him, I knew we had a bond. You could tell he wanted to win right away. We clicked the first time we met.”
With the roster containing only six players born before 1980, the Bulls' locker room feels like a frat house at times. Oversized polos and jeans — not designer suits and flashy jewelry — make up the team's dress code.
“Kirk's kind of right in the middle of it all,” says veteran Antonio Davis, who is 17 years older than Deng, the team's youngest player. “He understands what the rookies like Gordon and Duhon are going through. But he also went through the losing with (Curry and Chandler). It's pretty helpful to have a leader that can straddle both sides like that.”
Starting Tuesday in New Jersey, the Bulls begin a stretch where they play 13 of 18 games on the road. They will face winning teams such as Miami, Dallas, Minnesota and Cleveland. The stretch will be a huge test to see whether the Bulls are for real. Hinrich knows that he will have to continue improving his game.
Skiles shares the same belief.
“His offense is still evolving,” Skiles says. “He needs to shoot the ball more consistently and take better care of the ball.”
Hinrich often draws comparisons to Paxson and Skiles, both solid NBA guards in their day. Skiles just laughs it off.
“Kirk's a way-better athlete that either of us ever were,” Skiles says. “He's got great foot speed, and he's an all-round better player. I think Kirk has a tremendous upside.”
Davis adds: “With the way he's already worked and shown himself to be a complete player, if you ask me, I think Kirk is going to be a Bull for life.”
***
After a short practice Wednesday, Hinrich heads home to sleep. Four games and wins in five days — plus a Midwestern blizzard — will do that to you.
“We played at Kansas, what, two times a week?” Hinrich says. “You don't know how tough the NBA is until you're actually here.”
He lives 5 minutes from the Bulls' practice facility in Deerfield, opting for a five-bedroom spread instead of the apartment in the city that he desires.
He'd never make it to practice on time otherwise. Plus his parents, his sister Jill and his college buddies have room to crash when they come to town.
Playing in Chicago means all those important to Hinrich are just an hour's plane ride away. Earlier this month, when Jim Hinrich underwent a procedure to clear a blocked artery, Kirk was on the first plane Sunday morning. He spent the day with his dad, flew back to Chicago the next morning and was playing against Golden State that night.
But forget about the jet-set NBA life.
“I'm not adjusted to having money yet,” says Hinrich, who will make more than $2 million this season. “I still get mad if I see something that's overpriced.”
His two big purchases have both been cars — a Hummer H2 and a modestly priced (for an NBA player) Chrysler 300. Last Christmas, Hinrich “went crazy” buying presents for his family and girlfriend. The mounting bills had Hinrich worried that he went over budget.
“It felt like I was spending so much,” Hinrich says. “Then I talked to my financial adviser and he told me that he was proud of me. That I had saved a lot of money and done a good job.”
Content with focusing on his game, Hinrich has shied away from the endorsement spotlight. He has a shoe deal with Converse and a basketball-card contract with Upper Deck. That's about it.
It will be an easy task should Hinrich look to take more endorsements in Chicago, says Chris Emens, a member of Hinrich's representation team.
“He's got the same kind of work ethic as a lot of Chicagoans,” Emens says. “He's not about the glitz and glamour, he just rolls up his sleeves and goes to work. I think Chicago really identifies with that.”
***
When he arrived in Chicago for his post-draft news conference, Hinrich found himself answering an inordinate amount of questions about his shaggy haircut.
“Hair by Goober,” wrote one columnist. “It's a cross between dance-hall hip and farm-boy flip,” wrote another. The amount of questions shocked Hinrich. His parents were a little irked.
“I don't think Kirk has ever been on a farm in his life,” Jim Hinrich says.
Hinrich has since adopted a shorter hairstyle, but only because he “felt like a change.” He has plans to grow it out again. As Hinrich knew, the Harry Potter-comparisons would stop the minute he proved he could play. Now look at him.
And look at the Bulls.
To reach Kevin Kaduk, sports reporter for The Star, call (816) 234-7742 or send e-mail to kkaduk@kcstar.com.
Hinrich's hightlights
2003-04
• Picked as the Bulls' player of the year
• Selected to NBA All-Rookie first team, finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting
• Registered the only triple-double (11 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) by a rookie in a game against Golden State on Feb. 28
• Led all rookies with 14 double-doubles
• Finished seventh in assists in the NBA — first among rookies
2004-05
• Leads Bulls with average of 15.8 points per game.
• Ranks eighth in the NBA with 7.0 assists per game.
• Ranks 18th in the NBA with 1.52 steals per game.
• Posted three straight double-doubles against Golden State (Nov. 17), Denver (Nov. 19) and LA Lakers (Nov. 21)
• Opened season with a career-high 34 points in a double-overtime loss to New Jersey
• Selected to play on the sophomore team in the Rookie Challenge, held during All-Star Weekend in Denver
The Chicago Bulls have struggled since Michael Jordan's departure — until this season.