Former NBA player Kirk Hinrich continues to have an impact on the game of basketball. After having a successful career in college, he went on to play for three different teams in the NBA.

When his playing career was over, he moved to South Dakota with his family and was hired as a basketball specialist. If told Hinrich that after his career, he would be living in South Dakota, he probably would have laughed at you.

Kirk Hinrich was a top player in college

Hinrich attended the University of Kansas and enjoyed a successful career there. He was one of those players that stayed the entire four years and improved each season. During his freshman year, he finished the season with 123 assists and received the Clyde Lovellette Most Improved Player award. As a sophomore, Hinrich ranked eighth in the nation in assists per game with 6.9. He was one of the top players on the Kansas team.

During his time at Kansas, he led the team in steals and set a school record shooting .505 from the three. As a senior, Hinrich helped lead his team to the Final Four in 2003, and he was voted to the All-Big 12 Second Team. At the end of his senior season, he was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press.

In college, Hinrich was a player who played both ends of the court at a high level. He knew how to control the tempo of the game on offense at the guard position, and he had a high basketball IQ. On defense, he was good at playing lockdown defense, and he had quick hands.

Taking a look at Kirk Hinrich’s NBA career

Going into the 2003 NBA draft, Hinrich was one of the top prospects. In a talented draft class that featured LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony, Hinrich went seventh to the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls were searching for a point guard after Jay Williams suffered a bad injury in a car accident. In his rookie season, he became the Bulls starting point guard finishing the season averaging 12 points and 6.8 assists. He was named to the All-Rookie First Team.

In the next three years, Hinrich saw his numbers improve as he remained the starting point guard for the Bulls. During the 2006-07 season, he averaged 16.6 points per game, which was a career-high. He spent his first seven seasons with the Bulls before being traded to the Washington Wizards. During the 2010-11 season, he spent the first half of the season playing for the Wizards and was then traded to the Atlanta Hawks. After being away from Chicago for a few years, he returned to the Bulls and played for four seasons. Hinrich ended his career with the Atlanta Hawks. The point guard finished his NBA career averaging 10.9 points and 4.9 assists per game.

Kirk Hinrich making the trip to South Dakota

Not too long after Hinrich’s playing career finished, he had another opportunity presented to him. In October of 2017, he started working as a lead basketball specialist for Sanford Power in South Dakota. Sanford Power is a basketball academy that trains and helps players of all ages develop their game.

Hinrich is heavily involved in camps, clinics, and summer basketball teams. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the academy, and it’s good to see former athletes staying involved in the game that they played for so long. Growing up, Hinrich had a passion for basketball, and now he continues to share that passion of the game to younger people.