Craig Hodges
A sharpshooting guard and activist whose three-point contest dominance was overshadowed by his principled, controversial political stand.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American basketball player-coach·Birthday: June 27·Baby Boomers
Biography
Craig Hodges possessed one of the purest shooting strokes of his generation, a skill that earned him two championship rings with the Chicago Bulls and a historic three consecutive Three-Point Contest titles. Yet his legacy extends far beyond the arc. A deeply thoughtful and politically conscious man, Hodges used his platform to speak on issues of racial and social justice, a stance that was rare and unwelcome in the early 1990s NBA. His most defining act came in 1992, when he wore a dashiki to the White House championship visit and handed President George H.W. Bush a letter outlining concerns about the treatment of Black Americans. Many believe this act led to his effective blackballing from the league shortly thereafter. His story is a complex tapestry of athletic precision and courageous conviction.
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.
Craig was born in 1960, 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 Craig Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Craig's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
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
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won three consecutive NBA Three-Point Contest championships (1990, 1991, 1992).
- Earned two NBA championships as a key reserve for the Chicago Bulls in 1991 and 1992.
- Led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage twice (1986, 1990).
- Played a crucial role for the Bulls as a designated long-range specialist during their first championship runs.
Did You Know?
He is one of only three players to win the Three-Point Contest three times, alongside Larry Bird and Jason Kapono.
He was a head coach in the NBA Development League (now G League) for the Westchester Knicks.
He played college basketball at Long Beach State under legendary coach Tex Winter, who brought the triangle offense to the Bulls.
“A jumpshot is a tool, but conscience is a weapon.”
