United Center
"The UC" "The Madhouse on Madison"
280px
The United Center in 2006
Location	1901 West Madison Street Chicago, Illinois 60612
Coordinates	41°52′50″N 87°40′27″W / 41.88056°N 87.67417°W / 41.88056; -87.67417Coordinates: 41°52′50″N 87°40′27″W / 41.88056°N 87.67417°W / 41.88056; -87.67417
Broke ground	April 6, 1992[1]
Built	1992–1994
Opened	August 18, 1994
Renovated	2009–2010 (300 Level)
Owner	Rocky Wirtz and Jerry Reinsdorf
Operator	Rocky Wirtz and Jerry Reinsdorf
Construction cost	$175 million ($274 million in 2012 dollars[2])
Architect	HOK Sport (now Populous) W.E. Simpson Company
Project Manager	International Facilities Group, LLC.[3]
Structural engineer	Thornton Tomasetti
Services engineer	Flack + Kurtz[4]
General Contractor	Morse Diesel/Huber Hunt & Nichols[5]
Capacity	Concerts: 23,500 Basketball: 20,917 (2009–present) with standing room at least 23,129 21,711 (1994–2009) Hockey: 19,717 (2009–present) with standing room at least 22,428 20,500 (1994–2009)
Tenants
Chicago Bulls (NBA) (1994–present) Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) (1994–present)

The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago, Illinois. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. The plan to build the arena was created by Bill Wirtz and Jerry Reinsdorf, the owners of the two sports teams. The United Center's predecessor was the indoor Chicago Stadium, the original "Madhouse on Madison", which was demolished after the newer arena opened for business on August 18, 1994. The east side of the stadium features statues of Michael Jordan (known as "The Spirit"), Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, while a statue of various Blackhawks sits to the north on Madison Street, where the Chicago Stadium was located. United Airlines pays about $1.8 million per year until 2014 for its naming rights.^[6] United merged with Continental Airlines in October 2010, retaining the latter's logo and corporate look. The stadium continued to use United's previous logo for the duration of the 2010-11 season. For the 2011-12 season, all the previous United signs were updated with the new logo. Two new lit signs on the east and west ends of the arena saying "United Center" with the new United logo in the middle was revealed below the upper level suites complimenting the "Madhouse" signs on the north and south sides.

Arena information[link]

The United Center, which is currently owned by Rocky Wirtz and Reinsdorf, covers 960,000 square feet (89,187 m²) and is located on a 46-acre (19 ha) parcel, west of the Chicago Loop. The arena is the largest in the United States in physical size, though not in capacity. Its exterior bears a striking resemblance to that of Chicago Stadium. It seats 19,717 (not including standing room) for hockey (highest attendance at a Blackhawks game in 2012 was 22,077 vs. St. Louis), 20,917 (not including standing room) for basketball (highest attendance at a Bulls game in 2012 was 23,028 vs. Miami) and up to 23,500 for concerts. The United Center hosts over 200 events per year and has drawn over 20 million visitors since its opening. It is known for routinely exceeding seating capacity for Bulls and Blackhawks games.

United Center's acoustics were designed to amplify the noise level in order to recreate "The Roar" – the din of noise that made Chicago Stadium famous, especially during hockey games. During hockey season, an Allen Organ that is a replica of the old arena's famous Barton organ is used; recreating the old organ's notes took two years.

As of the 2009-10 renovation, the stadium has 169 executive suites on three levels.

Notable events[link]

In addition to more than 80 Bulls and Blackhawks games each year, the United Center has hosted other sporting events such as University of Illinois basketball, the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament (from the first tournament in 1998 to 2001, then in odd-numbered years from 2003 to 2007, before the tournament moved permanently to Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis), the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament (hosted four times, including 2011), the Roundball Classic, and the Great Eight Classic.

U2 filmed two concerts during the American leg of their Vertigo Tour for the concert film Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago. The Dave Matthews Band released Live in Chicago 12.19.98 as a live album and a bootleg video of the webcast of the performance is widely in circulation among DMB fans.

The United Center has also provided a Chicago home for Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice. During The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice, which occur once per year, the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks have a tradition of taking a two week road trip. This year the Circus will be in town during June 27, so the Bulls will not be in the regular season.

The arena was the Bulls' home during their second run of three consecutive championships, hosting the 1996, 1997, and 1998 NBA Finals. The Bulls won the 1996 and 1997 series in the sixth game at home, but won the 1998 series at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, which is now known as the EnergySolutions Arena.

The United Center was also the site of the World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view SummerSlam in 1994 – the first major event held inside the building.^[7] It also hosted the last of World Championship Wrestling's annual Spring Stampede pay-per-views in 2000.

The United Center was also the venue of the 1996 Democratic National Convention, where the Democratic Party nominated as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates Bill Clinton and Al Gore, the incumbent holders of the respective offices, who would be re-elected as a result of the general election held that November.

The Stanley Cup Finals were played in the arena for the first time in 2010. However, the Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup since 1961 at Wachovia Center, now Wells Fargo Center, in Philadelphia.

On the weekend of March 5–6, 2011, the Professional Bull Riders made their Built Ford Tough Series debut at the United Center.^[8] It was their third Chicago-area visit, having previously visited Rosemont's Allstate Arena in 2006 and 2008. The event at the United Center presented a unique scenario in that instead of dirt, white stone was used to cover the arena floor.

The Blackhawks announced that hockey legends Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita would receive bronze statues in their honor outside of the United Center during the 2011–12 NHL season.^[9]

The Illinois State High School Hockey Championships are hosted at the United Center yearly for the Blackhawk Cup.

On Feb 21, 2011, Lady Gaga performed a sold-out show apart of her Monster Ball Tour.

On May 17, 2011, Oprah The Farewell Season: Oprah's Surprise Spectacular was taped at the United Center. The program aired on television on May 23 and 24, 2011.

On June 17 and 18, 2011, boy bands New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys also known as NKOTBSB performed for two sold out concerts.

On July 8, 2011, Britney Spears performed a sold-out concert as apart of her Femme Fatale Tour.

On January 28, 2012 The Ultimate Fighting Championship held its first nationally televised event at the arena: UFC on Fox.. UFC on Fox 2 was the UFC's 2nd live prime-time event on Fox. The headlining fight was former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, with Evans winning by unanimous decision. He will face current champion Jon Jones.

300 Level renovations[link]

The United Center's configuration for Blackhawks hockey games.

New for the 2009-10 season, the United Center’s 300 Level features a renovated concourse with 144 flat screen televisions powered by LG, new food and beverage stations above select seating sections and two new bars that open up to panoramic views of the arena. During the 2010 off-season, two additional bars with panoramic views of the arena were added along with the other two.

The United Center includes:

• Graphics and signs highlighting “The Madhouse on Madison.”
• A variety of new menu items provided by the United Center’s new food and beverage provider, Levy Restaurants.
• A new concession stand and seating area located in Section 326 called “Backstage. ”This area replicates the atmosphere of being backstage at a United Center concert and will include photos of music acts that played at the United Center along with a specialized menu from Levy Restaurants.
• New concession stands and bars located at the top of the 300 Level on the north side of the arena to provide fans sitting in that area with easy access to food and beverage service.
• Two new novelty areas carrying merchandise unique to The Madhouse on Madison.
• New concourse food stations with increased seating.
• New video systems featuring photography, video and animation on the concourse walls which will create images and specialized programming for each individual event.

Banners[link]

The following banners hang from the rafters of the United Center honoring past and present Bulls and Blackhawks.

Chicago Bulls Retired Numbers

• 4 Jerry Sloan
• 10 Bob Love
• 23 Michael Jordan
• 33 Scottie Pippen
• Coach Phil Jackson
• General Manager Jerry Krause

Championship Banners

• 1974-75 Midwest Division Champions
• 1990-91,1991-92,1992-93,1995-96*,1996-97,1997-98, 2010-11 Central Division Champions
• 1990-91,1991-92,1992-93,1995-96,1996-97,1997-98 Eastern Conference Champions
• 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 NBA World Champions
• *A banner with the number 72 is hung below the 1996 division title to denote the Bulls all time record 72-10 season.

Chicago Blackhawks Retired Numbers

• 1 Glenn Hall
• 3 Pierre Pilote
• 3 Keith Magnuson
• 9 Bobby Hull
• 18 Denis Savard
• 21 Stan Mikita
• 35 Tony Esposito

Championships

• 1969-70 East Division Champions
• 1970-71,1971-72,1972-73 West Division Champions
• 1975-76,1977-78,1978-79,1979-80 Smythe Division Champions
• 1982-83,1985-86,1989-90,1990-91,1992-93 Norris Division Champions
• 2009-10 Central Division Champions
• 1970-71,1972-73,1991-92 Campbell Conference Champions
• 2009-10 Western Conference Champions
• 1990-91 Presidents' Trophy Champions
• 1934, 1938, 1961, 2010 Stanley Cup Champions

See also[link]

Gates 2 and 3 on the North side of the United Center.

• Gene Honda - Public address announcer for the Blackhawks, DePaul Basketball, Chicago White Sox and the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Final Four.
• Jim Cornelison - National Anthem singer for Blackhawks games.
• Harvey Wittenberg - Former Blackhawks public address announcer who now fills in for Honda when absent.
• Frank Pellico - Current Blackhawks organist.
• Tommy Edwards - Current Bulls public address announcer and disk jockey on 104.3 K-Hits
• Ray Clay - Former Bulls public address announcer during the team's NBA championship days
• U.S. Cellular Field - Home of the Chicago White Sox.
• Wrigley Field - Home of the Chicago Cubs.
• Soldier Field - Home of the Chicago Bears.
• Toyota Park - Home of the Chicago Fire and Chicago Bliss
• Allstate Arena - Home of the Chicago Rush, Chicago Wolves, Chicago Sky, and the DePaul Blue Demons college basketball team.
• Sears Centre - Home of the Chicago Slaughter and Chicago Express.
• Benny the Bull - The Bulls mascot.
• Tommyhawk - The Blackhawks mascot.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: United Center

• The United Center web site

Kirk Hinrich

Hinrich with the Wizards
No. 6 – Atlanta Hawks
Point guard / Shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1981-01-02) January 2, 1981 (age 31) Sioux City, Iowa
Nationality	American
High school	West (Sioux City)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College	Kansas (1999–2003)
NBA Draft	2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career	2003–present
League	NBA
Career history
2003–2010	Chicago Bulls
2010–2011	Washington Wizards
2011–present	Atlanta Hawks
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2007) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2004)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Kirk James Hinrich (born January 2, 1981) is an American professional basketball player, currently a guard for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. He has also been a member of the USA 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.^[1]

As a high school senior, Hinrich was named the 1999 Co-Iowa Mr. Basketball, along with future college teammate and roommate Nick Collison.^[1] 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.^[2] While playing college basketball for Kansas, Hinrich helped his team reach the Final Four in the NCAA basketball tournament in 2002 and the championship game against the Carmelo Anthony-led Syracuse University in 2003.^[3] Hinrich played all four years at Kansas before being drafted into the NBA. He is often referred to as "Captain Kirk" because he was voted as team captain for the Bulls for four consecutive years.^[4] Hinrich is the Bulls' all-time leader in three point field goals.^[5] After seven seasons with the Bulls, he was traded to the Washington Wizards on June 8, 2010. He then was traded to the Atlanta Hawks on February 23, 2011.

Early life[link]

Hinrich was born to Jim and Nancy Hinrich of Sioux City, Iowa. His father had played college 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.^[6]

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.^[6] 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, assists.^[6]

College career[link]

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.^[7]

In his junior season with 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, while contributing 5.0 assists per game. He also received Kansas' Ted Owens Defensive Player Award.^[7] In his final year with the Jayhawks, Hinrich helped Kansas reach the NCAA Men's Championship Game (losing to Syracuse) and was named the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region's Most Outstanding Player. He ranked second on his team in scoring and led them in three-pointers made, 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.^[7]

On March 1, 2009 Kansas retired Hinrich's number 10 jersey and raised it to the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse. Hinrich's was just 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:

NBA career[link]

Chicago Bulls[link]

Hinrich with the Bulls.

2003 Draft[link]

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.^[9] 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, but 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.^[9][10][11] The Chicago 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:

2003–04 season[link]

Hinrich suffered an acute viral infection shortly before the beginning of his first season, requiring months to fully recover.^[13] However, he played well after his recovery,^[13] 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.^[14] 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.^[15] He was also awarded the Bulls' Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award or Player of the Year award (POY) for the 2003–04 season.^[16]

2004–05 season[link]

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.^[17] The Bulls later met the Wizards in the first round of the playoffs and the possible start of a rivalry was born.^[18] Though he began his second year as the team's starting point guard, he was moved to the shooting guard spot nine games into the season due to the team's 0–9 start. Ben Gordon was moved to the bench, as the Bulls' sixth man. The player who took over the starting point guard spot was rookie Chris Duhon. After this move was made, the Bulls started to gain team chemistry and the starting line-up was geared more towards defense, with Gordon coming off the bench to spark the team's scoring. The Bulls then made a run throughout the rest of the season to finish 47–35, becoming the first team ever to start off 0–9 and reach the playoffs, where they earned the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference. After winning the first two games of their series with the Washington Wizards, they lost the next four, including a last-second loss at home in game 5, and were eliminated.^[19] During the off-season the Bulls exercised the fourth-year option on Hinrich's contract, making him signed through the 2006–07 season.^[20] Hinrich improved in virtually every statistical category in 2004–05, including scoring (15.8 ppg), shooting (just under 40 percent from the field), rebounding (3.9 rpg) and defense (122 steals).^{[citation needed]}

2005–06 season[link]

In his third year in the NBA,Hinrich's field-goal percentage went up to 41%, although his three-point shooting accuracy fell to 35%. His career free throw shooting average is 80.5%, making him one of the better free throw shooters on the Bulls. The team traded away Antonio Davis and Eddy Curry in the off-season and the team struggled until making a late-season run to gain the seventh seed in the playoffs where they faced the eventual champs, the Miami Heat, in the first round. It was in the third game of the series that the Heat's James Posey shoulder tackled Hinrich, as he ran the fastbreak.^[21] Hinrich ended the 05–06 season averaging a career high 15.9 ppg, a team-high 6.4 apg, and 3.6 rpg, while shooting a career high 41.8% from the field and a then career high 81.5% from the free throw line. He was the only member of the Chicago Bulls to average more than one steal per game in the 2005–06 campaign.

Hinrich received a multi-year contract extension on October 31, 2006, which was the deadline for the deal. (Otherwise Hinrich would have become a restricted free agent). Bulls GM John Paxson was quoted as saying,

2006–07 season[link]

Hinrich improved his stats in shooting and scoring during the 2006–07 season, his fourth in the NBA, with career highs in field goal, 3-point field goal, and free throw shooting percentage, as well as a career high 16.6 ppg. However, Hinrich's assists average was the lowest of his career and he also grabbed the fewest rebounds per game of his career.^[23]

In a game against the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade injured his wrist while being defended by Hinrich. Heat coach Pat Riley suggested that Hinrich injured Dwyane Wade's wrist on purpose.

Hinrich was then played a recording of what Riley said; his response was candid, as he responded by saying

When Hinrich's teammate Ben Gordon heard Riley's comments, he came to his defense stating "I heard him saying something about Kirk. Posey's was way more blatant. I don't think Kirk did anything. He was just playing aggressive defense. Kirk didn't do anything dirty. I don't appreciate him taking shots at our guys."^[25] Sports Illustrated columnist Chris Mannix called Riley's comments "on the border of hypocrisy" while maintaining that Hinrich's grab of Wade's wrist, while illegal, was not a dirty play. "For starters, the play itself hardly qualifies as dirty. That was not the word Riley chose, but it was certainly what he insinuated. Illegal, yes. But dirty?" "Hinrich had no intention of hurting Wade. He didn't grab his wrist and twist it. He didn't chop down on it with his other hand." He went on to describe plays like that commonplace in the NBA, while calling Posey's foul on Hinrich during the 2006 playoffs dirty. "Dirty was the cheap shot that James Posey delivered to Hinrich when he leveled the guard with a body check during last season's playoffs."^[26]

Riley later had a different view on his comments; the next time the Bulls and Heat played Riley was questioned about the comments he made by a reporter.

Hinrich defending NBA All-Star Michael Redd.

During the Bulls' first game of the 2007 playoffs against the Miami Heat, Hinrich threw his mouthpiece into the stands after being assessed a charging foul. Hinrich received a technical foul for his actions as well as a $25,000 fine.^[28] Technically Hinrich should have been ejected from the game but he was allowed to stay in. Bulls coach Scott Skiles was quoted as saying "What Kirk did the other (day), that's supposed to be an automatic ejection. They didn't see it. Hopefully, nothing like that happens again."^[29] The Bulls went on to sweep the Heat, before being eliminated in 6 games by the Detroit Pistons.

Hinrich was named to the NBA's All Defensive second team in the 06–07 season. Hinrich received 7 first team votes and 4 second team votes, for a total of 18 points. Hinrich joined teammate Ben Wallace on the 06–07 All Defensive second team.^[30]

2007–08 season[link]

In the season, Hinrich's numbers dropped across the board, averaging career lows in points (11.5), assists (6.0), rebounds (3.3), and minutes played (31.7). He only appeared in 75 games and started 72 of them due to minor injuries.^[31] The Bulls missed the playoffs in the 2007–08 season finishing with a dismal 33–49 season.

Hinrich put up a career-high 38 points vs. Indiana on January 23, 2008.

2008–09 season[link]

Due to the arrival of number one pick Derrick Rose, Hinrich was relegated to a backup role at the point guard position for the 2008–2009 season. Injuries also held him to just 51 games played on the season, with only 4 starts.

During the 2009 NBA Playoffs Hinrich averaged 30.0 minutes per game, 2.9 assists per game, 1.7 steals per game and 12.6 points per game. The Bulls lost to the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs in a thrilling seven-game series.

2009–10 season[link]

On February 20, 2010 in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Hinrich became the Bulls' all-time leader in three point field goals, surpassing Ben Gordon's record of 770.^[32]

On April 13, 2010, Hinrich produced a season high 30 points in a 101–93 win over the Boston Celtics.

Hinrich finished the season averaging 10.9 points per game, 4.5 assists per game, and 1.2 steals per game as the Bulls made the final 8th seed spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. In the playoffs, Hinrich averaged 12.4 ponts per game and 4 assists per game, but the Bulls lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.^[33]

Washington Wizards[link]

On June 24, 2010, it was reported that the Chicago Bulls would trade Hinrich and the 17th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft (Kevin Seraphin) to the Washington Wizards for a future 2nd-round pick.^[34] 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.^[35] At the end of Hinrich's tenure with the Wizards, he had averaged 11.1 points per game, 4.4 assists per game and 2.2 rebounds per game.

Atlanta Hawks[link]

2011 season[link]

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.^[36] At the end of the season, the Hawks made the playoffs as the 5th 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 2nd round of the playoffs in which the Hawks ended up losing to Hinrich's former team, the Chicago Bulls.^[37]

2011-12 season[link]

Hinrich missed the first eighteen games of the 2011-12 NBA season after undergoing left shoulder surgery.^[38] 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.^[39]

International career[link]

Medal record
Competitor for  United States
FIBA World Championship
Bronze	2006 Japan	Team competition

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.^[40] 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:

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.^[41] 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.^[42]

Hinrich started the exhibition game against Lithuania on August 13, 2006. He scored 10 points, had 2 steals, and shot 80% from the field 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."^[43]

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.^[44] 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.^[45]

Hinrich dropped out of the U.S. training camp for the FIBA Americas Championship in 2007, citing personal reasons.^[46] The Chicago Tribune reported that Hinrich dropped out of his commitment to the US national team so that he could focus on his wedding, and to "hitting the weights" hard.^[47] In April 2008, Hinrich revealed that he would not play for Team USA in the Beijing Olympics since his wife was expecting a baby. He said of the Olympics, "It wasn't like I was upset about anything. It just wasn't working out for me."^[48]

Personal life[link]

Hinrich was engaged to Jill Fisher in 2006. He married her on July 7, 2007.^[49] His wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Kenzie, in 2008.^[50] Hinrich's wife gave birth to their second daughter, Kyla, in September 2011.^[51]

Awards and achievements[link]

• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2004
• All-NBA Defensive Second Team: 2007

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

References and notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kirk Hinrich

• Kirk Hinrich at Basketball-Reference.com
• NBA.com Profile – Kirk Hinrich
• Prospect Profile for Kirk Hinrich

James Cornelison (born c. 1964)^[1] is a tenor who sings The Star-Spangled Banner and O Canada at the beginning of home games for the Chicago Blackhawks. Cornelison started singing the anthem for the Blackhawks part time in 1996;^[2] he has been singing the national anthem for the Blackhawks full time since 2007. In the 2010-2011 NFL playoffs, Cornelison also sang the anthem for the Chicago Bears.^[3] He also sang for the Chicago Bears opening game against the Atlanta Falcons of the 2011 football season on September 11, 2011, the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack.^[4]

Cornelison graduated from Seattle Pacific University with degrees in music and psychology. He then went on to post graduate work and earned a Masters in Music from Indiana University in 1992. In 1995, he moved to Chicago and joined the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists.^[5]

Cornelison has won several awards for music, including:^[6]

• The William Matheus Sullivan Foundation Award
• First place in the American Opera Society of Chicago’s 1997 Vocal Competition
• The George London Foundation Encouragement Grant

When he is not singing, Cornelison works in real estate for Rubloff Residential Properties.^[5]

References[link]

External links[link]

• A night in the life of Jim Cornelison, the Chicago Blackhawks on YouTube
• 2009 Winter Classic National Anthem at Wrigley Field on YouTube
• Jim Cornelison on the 10th anniversary of 9-11 on YouTube

Jeremy Lin

Lin in his first game for the Knicks, following a game against his former team the Golden State Warriors on December 28, 2011
No. 17 – New York Knicks
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1988-08-23) August 23, 1988 (age 23) Los Angeles, California
Nationality	American
High school	Palo Alto HS (Palo Alto, California)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
College	Harvard (2006–2010)
NBA Draft	2010 / Undrafted
Pro career	2010–present
Career history
2010–2011	Golden State Warriors
2010–2011	→Reno Bighorns (D-League)
2011	Dongguan Leopards (China)
2011–present	New York Knicks
2012	→Erie BayHawks (D-League)
Career highlights and awards
NBA BBVA Rising Star (2012) ABA Club Championship MVP (2011) 2× All-Ivy League First Team (2009, 2010) All-Ivy League Second Team (2008) CIF Division II champion (2006) 2× SCVAL MVP (2005, 2006)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Jeremy Shu-How Lin^[1] (born August 23, 1988) is an American professional basketball player with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After receiving no athletic scholarship offers out of high school and being undrafted out of college, the 2010 Harvard University graduate reached a partially guaranteed contract deal later that year with his hometown Golden State Warriors.

Lin seldom played in his rookie season and was assigned to the NBA Development League (D-League) three times. He was waived by the Warriors and the Houston Rockets the following preseason before joining the Knicks early in the 2011–12 season. He was again assigned to the D-League and continued to play sparingly. In February 2012, he unexpectedly led a winning streak by New York while being promoted to the starting lineup, which generated a global following known as Linsanity. Lin is one of the few Asian Americans in NBA history, and the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the league.^[2] He is known for his public expression of the Christian faith.^[3]

Early life[link]

Lin was born in Los Angeles, and raised in a Christian family in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Palo Alto.^{[4][5][note 1]} His parents, Lin Gie-Ming and Shirley Lin, emigrated from Taiwan to the United States in the mid-1970s, first settling in Virginia, and later residing in Indiana, where they both attended universities.^[8][9][10] They are dual nationals of both Taiwan and the U.S.^[11] Lin's paternal family comes from Beidou, Changhua, in Taiwan (his father's distant ancestors immigrated to Taiwan from Zhangpu County, Fujian, in mainland China, in 1707),^[11][12][13] while his maternal grandmother immigrated to Southern Taiwan in the late 1940s from Pinghu, Zhejiang in mainland China.^[11][14][15]

Lin's parents are both 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) tall.^[16] His maternal grandmother's family was tall, and her father was over 6 feet (1.8 m).^[15] Lin has an older brother, Josh, and a younger brother, Joseph.^[10] Gie-Ming taught his sons to play basketball at the local YMCA.^[17] Shirley helped form a National Junior Basketball program in Palo Alto where Lin played. She worked with coaches to ensure his playing did not affect academics. She was criticized by her friends for letting Lin play so much basketball, but she allowed him to play the game he enjoyed.^[18]

High school career[link]

In his senior year in 2005–2006, Lin captained Palo Alto High School to a 32–1 record and upset nationally ranked Mater Dei, 51–47, for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division II state title.^[19][20] He was named first-team All-State and Northern California Division II Player of the Year, ending his senior year averaging 15.1 points, 7.1 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 5.0 steals.^[19]

College career[link]

Recruiting process[link]

Lin sent his résumé and a DVD of highlights of his high school basketball career to all the Ivy League schools, University of California, Berkeley, and his dream schools Stanford and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).^[21][22][9] The Pac-10 schools wanted him to walk-on, rather than be actively recruited or offered a sports scholarship. Harvard and Brown were the only teams that guaranteed him a spot on their basketball teams, but Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships.^[23] Rex Walters, University of San Francisco men's basketball coach and a retired NBA player, said NCAA limits on coaches' recruiting visits had an impact on Lin's chances. "Most colleges start recruiting a guy in the first five minutes they see him because he runs really fast, jumps really high, does the quick, easy thing to evaluate," Walters said. Lin added, "I just think in order for someone to understand my game, they have to watch me more than once, because I’m not going to do anything that’s extra flashy or freakishly athletic."^[24]

In July 2005, then-Harvard assistant coach Bill Holden saw that Lin was 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m), which fit the physical attributes he was seeking, and he had a 4.2 grade point average in high school, which fit Harvard's academic standards. However, Holden was not initially impressed with Lin's on-court abilities, and told Lin's high school basketball coach, Peter Diepenbrock, that Lin was a "Division III player". Later that week, Holden saw Lin playing in a much more competitive game, driving to the basket at every opportunity with the "instincts of a killer". Lin became a top-priority for Holden.^[25] Harvard coaches feared that Stanford, close to Lin's home,^{[note 2]} would offer Lin a scholarship, but it did not, and Lin chose to attend Harvard.^[26] "I wasn't sitting there saying all these Division I coaches were knuckleheads," Diepenbrock said. "There were legitimate questions about Jeremy."^[27] Joe Lacob, incoming Warriors' owner and Stanford booster, said Stanford's failure to recruit Lin "was really stupid. The kid was right across the street. [If] you can't recognize that, you've got a problem."^[28] Kerry Keating, the UCLA assistant who offered Lin the opportunity to walk-on, said in hindsight that Lin would probably have ended up starting at point guard for UCLA.^[29]

Harvard[link]

After failing to receive any athletic scholarship offers, Lin attended Harvard.

A Harvard coach remembered Lin in his freshman season as "the [physically] weakest guy on the team",^[30] but in his sophomore season (2007–08), Lin averaged 12.6 points and was named All-Ivy League Second Team.^[19] By his junior year during the 2008–09 season, he was the only NCAA Division I men's basketball player who ranked in the top ten in his conference for scoring (17.8), rebounding (5.5), assists (4.3), steals (2.4), blocked shots (0.6), field goal percentage (0.502), free throw percentage (0.744), and three-point shot percentage (0.400),^[17] and was a consensus selection for All-Ivy League First Team. He had 27 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds in an 82–70 win over 17th-ranked Boston College, three days after the Eagles defeated No. 1 North Carolina.^[19][31]

In his senior year (2009–10), Lin averaged 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks, and was again a unanimous selection for All-Ivy League First Team. He was one of 30 midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award^[32] and one of 11 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award.^[33] He was also invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.^[34] Fran Fraschilla of ESPN picked Lin among the 12 most versatile players in college basketball.^[31] He gained national attention for his performance against the 12th ranked Connecticut Huskies, against whom he scored a career-high tying 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds on the road.^[35] After the game, Hall of Fame Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said of Lin: "I've seen a lot of teams come through here, and he could play for any of them. He's got great, great composure on the court. He knows how to play."^[17]

For the season, Harvard set numerous program records including wins (21), non-conference wins (11), home wins (11) and road/neutral wins (10).^[36] Lin finished his career as the first player in the history of the Ivy League to record at least 1,450 points (1,483), 450 rebounds (487), 400 assists (406) and 200 steals (225).^[19] He graduated from Harvard in 2010 with a degree in economics and a 3.1 grade-point average.^[37]

Professional career[link]

Undrafted[link]

At the Portsmouth Invitational, Lin first met the sports agent Roger Montgomery and later gave Montgomery a commitment. To Montgomery's disappointment, Lin went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft.^[38] The NBA had not drafted an Ivy League player since Jerome Allen of Penn in the second round in 1995. The last Ivy League player to play in the NBA was Yale's Chris Dudley in 2003, while the last Harvard player was Ed Smith in 1954.^[39][9] Eight teams had invited Lin to predraft workouts. Diepenbrock said that NBA tryouts do not play five on five. Lin acknowledged that the workouts were "one on one or two on two or three on three, and that’s not where I excel. I've never played basketball like that."^[24] Scouts saw what The New York Times later described as "a smart passer with a flawed jump shot and a thin frame, who might not have the strength and athleticism to defend, create his own shot or finish at the rim in the N.B.A."^[30] Lin joined the Dallas Mavericks for mini-camp as well as their NBA Summer League team in Las Vegas.^[40] Donnie Nelson of the Mavericks was the only General Manager that offered him an invitation to play in the Summer League. "Donnie took care of me," said Lin. "He has a different type of vision than most people do."^[23]

In five Summer League games, while playing both guard positions, Lin averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals in 18.6 minutes per game and shot a team leading 54.5% from the floor.^[41][42] He outplayed first overall pick John Wall;^[30] Lin scored 13 points to Wall's 21, but did so on 6-for-12 shooting in 28 minutes. Wall was 4-for-19 in 33 minutes.^[43] While Wall received the biggest cheer for any player during introductions, the crowd turned on Wall and was cheering for Lin by the end of the game.^[44] Lin received offers to sign from the Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, and an unnamed Eastern Conference team. In addition to the original three teams, the Golden State Warriors also offered Lin a contract.^[45]

Golden State Warriors (2010–2011)[link]

Lin at Warriors practice in 2010

On July 21, 2010, Lin signed a two-year deal with his hometown Warriors, his favorite team growing up. Lin's deal was partially guaranteed for 2010–11, and the Warriors held a team option for the second season.^[46] The deal included a first-year salary of close to $500,000 with more than half of it guaranteed.^[47] Lin said the counteroffers from the three other teams were higher, but he wanted to play for the Warriors.^[48] Lin's agent Roger Montgomery negotiated the deal with the Warriors.^[38] Lin also signed a three-year guaranteed contract with Nike.^[49] His jersey was already on sale before his first NBA game.^[50]

The Warriors held a press conference for Lin after his signing, with national media in attendance. "It was surprising to see that ... for an undrafted rookie," said then-Warriors coach Keith Smart.^[51] "The San Jose Mercury News wrote that Lin "had something of a cult following" after his signing.^[52] The San Francisco Bay Area, with its large Asian-American population, celebrated his arrival.^[2] He became the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA.^[2][53][54] Lin received the loudest ovation of the night in the Warriors' home exhibition opener at Oracle Arena when he entered the game in the fourth quarter.^[55] The crowd had started chanting for him in the third quarter and cheered whenever he touched the ball. "That really touched me. It's something I'll remember forever," Lin said.^[56] During the first month of the season, Oracle Arena fans continued to root for Lin to play in the end of games and cheered every time he touched the ball.^[57] He drew the crowd's attention on the road as well. Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com attributed the attention Lin received out of town to the unique angle of "an Asian-American rising to rare basketball prominence".^[5] ESPN.com NBA editor Matt Wong wrote after a game in New York, "Lin checked into the game to loud applause, presumably from the many Asian-Americans in attendance."^[58] Still, Lin played more relaxed at home. "There's a lot of pressure on him at home, with all of the applause for just checking into the game, so I'm sure that cranks his nerves up a little bit," said teammate Stephen Curry. "You can tell on the road he plays a lot better, because he can just go out there, play and have fun."^[57]

Lin noticed the expectations that followed him and warned, "I won't be an All-Star this year."^[59] He was appreciative of the support, especially from the Asian-American community, but he also preferred concentrating on his play without all the attention when he had not "proven anything to anybody."^[5] Smart saw that Lin was skilled at getting to the paint, but needed to learn to pass because, he said, Lin "couldn't shoot the ball at all". The coach also noticed that the player always arrived early for practice and left late. Lin studied and rehearsed Steve Nash and other top point guards' pick-and-roll plays.^[30] Frank Hughes of Sports Illustrated wrote that he talked with the occasional "seeds of self-doubt", which he said was not common to hear in the NBA. Hughes also found it rare when Lin compared himself to the Phoenix Suns' backup point guard Goran Dragić.^[60] "Neither of us is a freak athlete, but we're both effective and know how to play the game," Lin said.^[61] Lin and Curry, the 2009–10 runner-up Rookie of the Year, received more interview requests than any other Warrior. Team officials regularly denied requests for Lin to help him keep his focus. He was approached to be the subject of documentaries.^[5] Smart planned to take pressure off Lin since Lin had a tendency to be hard on himself and get frustrated,^[59] but the coach admitted that he once succumbed to the home crowd's wishes and put Lin into a game in the wrong situation.^[5]

Lin received little playing time during the season with two dominant ball-handling guards, Curry and Monta Ellis, starring for the Warriors.^[62] He initially competed with Charlie Bell and Reggie Williams, and later Acie Law, for playing time at backup point guard.^[63][64] Lin started the regular season on the Warriors' inactive list,^[65] but made his NBA debut the next game during the Warriors' Asian Heritage Night. He received a standing ovation when he entered the game in the final minutes.^[66][67] In the next game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Lin scored his first NBA basket, had three assists, and recorded four steals. He played 11 of his 16 minutes in the third quarter and committed five fouls but played a role in a 12–1 run by the Warriors in a 107–83 loss to the defending NBA champions.^[68][69] Lakers' guard Derek Fisher praised Lin for his energy and aggressiveness.^[70] At Toronto on November 8, the Raptors held Asian Heritage Night to coincide with Lin's visit with the Warriors. Over 20 members of Toronto's Chinese media covered the game.^[71][72] In a 89–117 road loss to the Lakers, Lin scored a (then) career-high 13 points in 18 minutes after scoring only seven total points in his first six games.^[73][74]

Three times during the season, Lin was assigned to the Warriors' D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns.^[75][76][77] Each time, he was later recalled by the Warriors.^[78][79][80] He competed in the NBA D-League Showcase and was named to the All-NBA D-League Showcase First Team on January 14, 2011. Lin helped lead the Bighorns to a 2–0 record at the Showcase with averages of 21.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.5 steals.^[81] Lin posted a season-high 27 points with the Bighorns on March 18.^[82] In 20 games he averaged 18 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists with Reno.^[30] Lin initially felt he was not good enough to play in the NBA, but he later realized he was learning and getting playing time in the D-League that he would not have received with the Warriors.^[83][84] Lin credited Bighorns coach Eric Musselman with "helping him regain [his] swagger."^[85] Musselman recalled that Lin was a good scorer for himself but was not yet skilled at "using the whole floor". He scored many offensive fouls, but Musselman believed Lin was as good as Gilbert Arenas in the dribble drive, an ability "you can't teach". The player continued to improve his pick-and-roll, how to handle double teams and traps, and improved his jump shot and, especially, his three pointer. Musselman also noticed that Lin, who as an NBA player received first-class airplane tickets, gave them to his teammates.^[30]