Do you remember when you last heard the name "Kirk-Hinridge"?
On May 17, 2013, Sinrich signed up for a personal Twitter account. Four days later, he tweeted that when the number of fans exceeded 12,000, he would give away 10 pairs of AJ sneakers as a reward for fans.
Six years on, Cinrich still hasn't surpassed two thousand followers. And he himself, as if he had forgotten his account and password, had not logged in since.
In the history of the stars shining in the NBA, some people are born bright, growing up in the spotlight and immersing themselves in the thrill of dominating key moments in the game. But there are also some people who often use the phrase to describe them as "not star-studded", the NBA is a huge show, and they are out of place.
Cinch is one of them. If you take off your jersey and change into a suit, people probably won't equate him with the basketball player profession.
But in the past 14 years, he has left behind not all the forgotten backs. During his 11 years with the Bulls, he left behind the nickname "Captain Kirk" (Captain Kirk) and the honor of the three-point king of team history. In the list of assists and steals, he is only behind Jordan and Pippen.
To be looked up to, also to be forgotten. This is the story of Kirk Sinrich.
In middle school, Cinch showed his extraordinary athletic talent. He switches between multiple projects with ease. He was the star quarterback in school and a dominant player in baseball.
Kirk Jr., however, still prefers basketball, partly because his father was a basketball coach and partly because of his childhood idol, Gary Payton. Payton's nickname of "glove" comes from his fierce steals and "vicious" garbage words, and such an outstanding defensive sense of smell and the style of play that annoys opponents are what attracts Hinrich.
"Being a player of this type" became Kirk Jr.'s goal.
In high school, Sinrich, who played under his father, achieved a record of 82 wins and 9 losses, and as the leader of the team, he led the team to win the state championship in his junior year of high school, and in the final, Cinrich was the most successful, scoring 25 points alone. Cinrich helped not only the team and himself, but also his father, to win his first title since his coaching career.
In four years of high school, Cinch did everything he could, hoping to get closer to his idol. He became West High School's all-time leading scorer, assist, and steal king, named usa today in the high school All-American Team, and shared the Iowa Basketball Honor with his future college Nick Collison.
Under the admiration of everyone, Cinrich chose to join the University of Kansas.
If I had to sum up Cinrich's college career in one word, I would like to describe it as "steady and steady", which is most appropriate.
In the four years of college, Cinrich has steadily improved from personal data to the team's record. Starting from the bench as a rookie, Cinrich gradually secured the team's starting lineup and, with the help of teammates Nick Collison and Drew Gooden, became the most efficient point guard in American college basketball. Kansas also reached the final four after 10 years in Hinrich's junior and senior year.
But the team has never been able to stand on the highest championship throne. In the first year, the team was blocked from the final by eventual champion Maryland. The following year, Kansas beat Marquette University, which was 94-61 in the semifinals, but lost by three points to Syracuse University led by Carmelo Anthony in the final. This also became Sinrich's eternal regret.
And the regrets are more than that.
In the offseason at the end of freshman year, Sinrich had the opportunity to represent college players in the 2002 World Championship roster, but unfortunately, this place was eventually replaced by Jay Williams of Duke University, and Sinrich missed the opportunity to be selected for the Dream Team.
Despite his regrets, there is no denying that during his college years, Cinrich gradually grew into a good enough point guard and team leader. Six years later, the jersey retirement ceremony also proclaimed Cinrich's unique position for this team.
"Talent" is always the trait that scouts most crave in young people on the eve of the draft. In the 2003 draft, the most important thing is talent. LeBron James, who bears the name "The Chosen One", has been in the limelight for a while. The handsome little boy of Seihei was also watched by countless pairs of eyes, looking forward to the appearance of the next Nowitzki and Gasol. Anthony and Wade have shown their proven offensive skills at the NCAA.
As for Kirk-Hinridge?
"If you've been in college for four years, either you're a 'finisher' like Tim Duncan or you're flawed in some way," the scout said. What this league needs is the best player and the greatest potential stock, and that's the eternal truth. ”
But at least the scouts admit that choosing Cinch, at least, won't be a choice that will make you "regret it" in the future. "I like him a lot, point guard has always been the hardest position for rookies to challenge, but I think he can help the team," one veteran scout said before the draft. ”
In the seventh place, Cinrich left the noisy draft and headed to the windy city of Chicago to begin his next journey.
The word loyalty, in a business alliance like the NBA, has always been a rather awkward existence. A long career, countless temptations, and every fruit of the combination of superstars and superstars is like a stimulant, reducing the shelf life of everyone in the league.
Just as people are used to double the speed, they can no longer tolerate the slowness of the constant speed. When shortcuts are in front of us, and they are no longer being blamed by outside public opinion, who knows what choice the players will make.
At this time, loyalty is particularly valuable.
In Chicago, fans who have just witnessed the "god show" of the 90s naturally have a hard time arousing interest in the current fish belly team, which has won just 96 games in five seasons since Jordan retired.
But in such a chaotic, leaderless team, Cinrich got more opportunities than other teams. The rookie has played 66 starts in the season, and as the main point guard, Sinrich can deliver 12 points, 6.8 assists and 1.3 steals, and is selected as a rookie.
In the middle of last season, new coach Skyles took office, and the head coach who recorded 30 assists in a single game during his playing time gave Cinch more room to play. The following year, the influx of young blood such as Lore Deng, Ben Gordon and Nosioni made the team a powerhouse in the East. This team has also allowed the Bulls to regain their competitiveness in the "post-Jordan era".
Despite two consecutive years of folding the first round of the playoffs, in the face of more intense playoff competition, Cinrich showed a more outstanding performance. Facing the ultimate champion Miami Heat in the 05-06 season, Cinrich's performance in the first round was perfect, he averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists per game, and confirmed the failure of the original scout's prediction with strength.
In the offseason, ben Wallace joined the team, adding another defensive gate to the predatory bulls. Cinbridge is still close to playing all 82 regular season games, and he has only missed three games in the last two seasons. Although there wasn't much of an improvement in the data, Cinch was finally one step closer to his childhood goals. He was named to the Defensive Team of the Season for his desperate running and tearing.
The more mature team, which broke into the Eastern Conference semifinals this season, stubbornly chased back two sets in the case of 0-3, and finally regrettably lost to Detroit.
However, no matter how beautiful the fairy tale, there are times when they come to an end. When the team's performance was stuck in a bottleneck year by year, in the summer of 2010, in order to provide enough salary space for LeBron's arrival, management sent Hinrich away.
Next stop, Washington. In a hurry, half a season later, I came to Atlanta. During the two seasons of exile, Cinrich's statistics in all aspects took a sharp turn. At such a difficult time, Sinrich returned to the beginning of his career.
The most beautiful word in the world is to go home. In July 2012, unrestricted free agent Cinch reached an agreement with the old Chicago Bulls and announced his return. Due to Derrick Rose's season reimbursement, The newly returned Sinrich once again assumed the role of starting point guard. At the age of 32, he is no longer as spirited as he was then, but he is more calm.
But no one can resist the invasion of time. In the first round of the 2015 playoffs, facing the Cavaliers and facing the flamboyant Irving, Cinbridge set an "embarrassing" record. He became the second player in team history to play more than 20 minutes in the playoffs and zero in scoring, rebounding and assisting.
When the 35-year-old Cinrich looked into the dressing room, everything seemed to be changing, as if nothing had changed. The team's leader had become Jimmy Butler, the youngest on the team, Bobby Portis, who had just turned four and a half when he first entered college.
It's time.
Quietly, without any decommissioning ceremony, he retired in a very "Cinrici" way. Like a friend who comes to his house as a guest, when leaving, carefully closes the door without alarming anyone.
The NBA history players included on the data website Basketball reference, a total of 4685 people. Except for the giant stars at the tip of the pyramid, most people, like Cinrich, came and went and dissipated. They were idols, even beliefs, in the hearts of some people. But in the vast basketball world, it can't make too many waves, and it is quickly forgotten.
But it is better to be looked up to or to be forgotten. After all, for Sinrich, for Sinrich, is also a way to prove that it once existed.
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