Chris Mihm
A skilled 7-foot center whose promising NBA career was persistently derailed by injuries, most notably a severe ankle issue that required multiple surgeries.
Born 1979 (age 47)·American basketball player·Birthday: July 16·Generation X
Biography
Chris Mihm's basketball narrative is one of tantalizing potential repeatedly interrupted. A dominant force at the University of Texas, where he was a consensus All-American, he entered the 2000 NBA Draft with high expectations and was selected seventh overall. Traded on draft night to Cleveland, he showed flashes of the skilled, back-to-the-basket big man he could be, with soft hands and a reliable hook shot. A trade to the Boston Celtics offered a fresh start, but it was with the Los Angeles Lakers where he seemed to find a stable role as a starting center. Just as he was settling into a key piece for a contending team, a devastating ankle injury in 2006 began a cycle of surgeries and rehabilitation attempts that he could never fully overcome. He managed a brief comeback, but his body would not cooperate, forcing his retirement in 2009. His career stands as a reminder of how physical fortune is as crucial as talent in professional sports.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Chris was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
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
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected as the 7th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls (immediately traded to Cleveland).
- Named a consensus Second-Team All-American following his junior season at the University of Texas in 2000.
- Started 85 games at center for the Los Angeles Lakers across the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
- Averaged a career-high 9.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003-04 season.
Did You Know?
He won the NBA's Community Assist Award in November 2005 for his charitable work with the Lakers.
He was a three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection at Texas.
His father, Bob Mihm, also played basketball at the University of Texas.
After retiring, he returned to the University of Texas to complete his degree in corporate communication.
“Every time I got healthy, I had to prove I still belonged in the league.”
