Bob Hansen
A sharpshooting guard from Iowa who carved out a nine-year NBA career before becoming the familiar voice of Hawkeyes basketball.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American basketball player·Birthday: January 18·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bob Hansen’s journey from the cornfields of Iowa to the hardwood of the NBA is a story of steady, unflashy excellence. Drafted by the Utah Jazz in 1983, the 6'6" guard wasn't a headline star but a reliable and tough competitor, known for his defensive grit and a smooth outside shot that could punish defenses. He spent his prime years with the Jazz, forming part of the supporting cast for Karl Malone and John Stockton, and later won an NBA championship as a role player with the Chicago Bulls in 1992. After retiring, Hansen didn't stray far from the game or his roots. He seamlessly transitioned into broadcasting, where his deep knowledge and midwestern candor have made him the trusted radio voice for University of Iowa basketball, connecting a new generation of fans to the sport he helped define.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bob was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected 54th overall by the Utah Jazz in the 1983 NBA Draft.
- Played nine seasons in the NBA for the Jazz, Sacramento Kings, and Chicago Bulls.
- Won an NBA Championship as a member of the 1991-92 Chicago Bulls.
- Became a longtime radio color commentator for Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball broadcasts.
Did You Know?
He was a standout multi-sport athlete in high school in Des Moines, also excelling in baseball.
His NBA championship ring with the Bulls came in his final season as a professional player.
He is a member of the University of Iowa's Athletics Hall of Fame.
“My job was to guard the best player and hit the open shot.”
