Chris Duhon

Christopher Nicholas Duhon was born on August 31, 1982, in Mamou, Louisiana. His basketball journey began at Salmen High School in Slidell, Louisiana, where he earned recognition as Mr. Basketball for the state in 2000. He was also selected for the McDonald’s All-American Team that same year. Duhon continued his collegiate career at Duke University from 2000 to 2004, playing a crucial role as a point guard. Notably, he was part of the Duke Blue Devils team that clinched the 2001 NCAA National Championship. He completed his college career as Duke’s all-time leader in steals with 300 and minutes played with 4,813, additionally ranking second in assists with 819. He was a finalist for several prestigious awards, including the Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and Rupp Trophy in 2004, and also achieved the distinction of USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year in 2001.

Following his distinguished college career, Duhon was drafted by the Chicago Bulls as the 38th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He played for the Bulls from 2004 to 2008, appearing in all 82 games during his rookie season and averaging 5.9 points and 4.9 assists. A career highlight during his time with the Bulls was setting a franchise record with 8 three-pointers in a game against the Atlanta Hawks in his rookie year, later surpassed by Ben Gordon. In the 2007 NBA Playoffs, Duhon played a significant role as a sixth man, helping the Bulls sweep the Miami Heat 4-0. His career-high of 34 points, alongside 9 assists, 3 steals, and 4 three-pointers, was achieved against the Golden State Warriors in February 2008. He later moved to the New York Knicks (2008–2010), where he set a new single-game franchise record with 22 assists in November 2008. Duhon also played for the Orlando Magic (2010–2012) and the Los Angeles Lakers (2012–2013), concluding his nine-year NBA career with 606 games played, averaging 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.

After retiring from professional play, Duhon transitioned into coaching. He served as an assistant coach at Marshall University from 2014 to 2017, and then at Illinois State from 2018 to 2019. In 2021, he took on the role of Director of Scouting and Video Analysis at Bryant University, followed by his appointment as the head coach for the Gaston Christian School boys’ basketball team in 2023. His coaching roles demonstrate his continued dedication to basketball and player development.