 Hansen, circa 1988 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1961-01-18)January 18, 1961 (age 64) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Dowling (West Des Moines, Iowa) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Iowa (1979–1983) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1983: 3rd round, 54th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Selected by theUtah Jazz | |||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1983–1992 | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
| Number | 20 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 1983–1990 | Utah Jazz | ||||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | Sacramento Kings | ||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Chicago Bulls | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Points | 3,952 | ||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 1,282 | ||||||||||||||
| Assists | 947 | ||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Robert Louis Hansen II (born January 18, 1961) is an American former professionalbasketball player. A 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) guard, he played nine seasons (1983–1992) in theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Hansen is currently a commentator forIowa Hawkeyes basketball broadcasts.
Hansen attended Christ The King Elementary school and was a four-year starter at West Des MoinesDowling High School in the late 1970s. As a senior, he averaged 26 points and eleven rebounds per game to lead his team to an Iowa Class 4-A boys' basketball championship in 1979.
His success in high school made him a prized recruit for head coachLute Olson and the Iowa Hawkeyes, where Hansen played a key role on the team that reached the 1980Final Four.
Hanson averaged 5.6 ppg as a freshman in 1979–1980 as Iowa reached the Final Four. He averaged 8.4 in 1980–1981 as Iowa finished 21–7. He led the 21–8 Hawkeyes with 12.0 ppg in 1981–1982. As a senior in 1982–1983, he helped lead Iowa to the NCAA Sweet 16, averaging 15.4 points and 5.7 rebounds.[1][2][3][4]
As a senior in 1983, he was named as the Hawkeyes'Most Valuable Player.
Hansen was selected by theUtah Jazz in the third round of the1983 NBA draft, the 54th overall pick.[5] Hansen appeared in 55 games during his rookie season with the Jazz, averaging 2.7 points per game and 7.6 minutes per game. By the1985–86 season, Hansen was a regular starter for the Jazz. He was also one of three Jazz players named NBA Player of the Week (March 6, 1986) during the season, joining teammatesJohn Stockton andKarl Malone.[5] Hansen's highest scoring average, 9.7 points per game, came during the1986–87 season.[6] During the1990 All-Star weekend, Hansen participated in the three-point challenge, finishing fourth.
During a New Year's Eve party to ring in 1989, Hansen and teammateBart Kofoed got into a fight, with Kofoed breaking Hansen's cheekbone. Hansen couldn't play for a month. Two days after the incident, the Jazz waived Kofoed.[7]
Hansen never missed the playoffs in his tenure with the Jazz, while reaching theWestern Conference semifinals in both1984 and1988. On June 25, 1990, Hansen was involved in a three-team deal in which the Jazz acquiredJeff Malone from theWashington Bullets, the Bullets acquiredPervis Ellison from theSacramento Kings, and the Kings acquired Hansen,Eric Leckner, and two draft picks from the Jazz.[5]
To begin the 1990–91 season, Hansen suited up for the Kings, where he would play for chieflyone season, appearing in just two games for the1991–92 Kings before Hansen and the Kings' 1992 second-round pick were traded forDennis Hopson of theChicago Bulls.[8] In his final NBA season, and perhaps his best known, Hansen appeared in 66 regular season games and, along withCraig Hodges, served as back-up guard toMichael Jordan.[9] Hansen, who averaged 2.5 points per contest heading into the1992 NBA Playoffs, would have arguably his most memorable professional contribution during the1992 NBA Finals. During Game 6, the Bulls, who held a 3–2 series lead over thePortland Trail Blazers, were trailing by 15 points after three quarters. Head coachPhil Jackson decided to pull Jordan from the game in favor of Hansen,[10] hoping for an extra jolt to start what looked to be the final corner of a Finals looking to require seven games to determine a champion. According to longtime Bulls writer Sam Smith, Jackson may have wanted to rest his starters considering no team had ever come back from a 15-point deficit to win an NBA championship,[11] and Hansen started the fourth quarter with athree-pointer, his only field goal of the game, and asteal offJerome Kersey. Hansen confirmed with the defending Finals MVP Jordan whether he wanted to re-enter the game, but Jordan declined.[10]Scottie Pippen led a 14–2 Bulls rally,[12] and, along with Hansen and fellow reserve big manStacey King, helped the Bulls get within three points by the time Jordan was put back in the game to replace Hansen. The Bulls completed the comeback, eventually rallying for a 97–93 victory and winning their second consecutive NBA championship. Hansen was the only player on the roster who had not won a ring with the Bulls during the1991 Finals and after the Game 6 win, Jordan repeatedly stated, "I'm glad for Bobby Hansen."[13] When Hansen gave Jordan the game ball, Jordan replied, "I told you I'd get you that ring."[10] Hansen had logged 5 minutes of game time, while Jordan played in 43 minutes.[14]
Having won his championship ring, Hansen retired from the NBA in 1992. Hansen is a color-commentator for Iowa Hawkeyes' basketball broadcasts. He calls games withGary Dolphin. He has also run many summer basketball camps for Chicago-area children.[15]
Former joins Iowa teammates Kevin Boyle andSteve Carfino as basketball analysts. Mark Gannon is also a former analyst.[16]
Hanson sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" atWrigley Field for the 7th Inning Stretch of theChicago Cubs' game on August 31, 2012.[15][17]
He was named to theDes Moines RegisterIowa Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.[17]
