Former Chicago Bulls: Kirk Hinrich eligible for 2020 Hall-of-Fame induction

A weird name was added to the Hall-of-Fame induction list for 2020 who is a notable former Chicago Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich.

An interesting consideration to most NBA fans would be the former Chicago Bulls lottery pick and point guard Kirk Hinrich. A long time member of the Bulls for just over a decade, Hinrich did bring longevity and recognition to the table for this franchise.

Hinrich actually ended his NBA career by playing in 11 games with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2015-16 season. That season saw him split between playing with the Bulls and the Hawks in the Eastern Conference.

However, Hinrich started his NBA journey as part of that rebuilding Baby Bulls team in the early-to-mid 2000’s. He played alongside other rising talents at the time like two-way small forward Luol Deng and volume scoring shooting guard Ben Gordon. Hinrich averaged 10.9 points per game, 4.8 assists, and 2.9 rebounds over the course of his lengthy NBA career.

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Other notable former NBA players eligible for the Hall-of-Fame ballot for 2020 includes Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, Minnesota Timberwolves big man Kevin Garnett, San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan, Phoenix Suns forward Amar’e Stoudemire, and Miami Heat stretch forward Chris Bosh. The only other fellow former Bull included on the eligible list for 2020 is power forward Elton Brand.

There are three or four players that should be considered locks for the NBA Hall-of-Fame if not next year than in the near future. Kobe, KG, Duncan, and Bosh, fit into that elite category. Three of those four former superstars fit into the conversation of the 15 or 20 greatest players in NBA history too.

However, Hinrich might find it difficult to get close to an actual induction into the Hall-of-Fame. His two biggest accolades from his NBA career are 2003-04 All-Rookie Team and 2006-07 All-Defensive Team honors. The best production for Hinrich came during his 11 seasons with the Bulls, though, where he averaged 11.4 points per game, 5.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals.

Of the 879 career regular season games that Hinrich played in, he started 665 of them. He was also huge for the Bulls in the playoffs in his first two seasons in the NBA. He averaged more than 20 points per game and around 7 assists in 12 total playoff games in his first two seasons. But a Hall-of-Fame induction is pretty unlikely for Hinrich.