Remembering an Iowa Legend: Chris Street
With Iowa Hawkeye basketball in full swing, it’s time to take a step back and remember some of the great players in Iowa basketball history. In this post, we are going to look back at the career of the late Chris Street.
Any fan of Iowa Hawkeye basketball who has watched the program for a while will know the legacy of the late Chris Street. Street, a power forward, was a starter for the Iowa Hawkeyes and had a lot of pro potential. Sadly, his life was cut short in his junior year at the University of Iowa. Here is his story.
Christopher Michael Street was born on February 2nd, 1972 in Indianola, Iowa. He played his high school basketball, along with baseball and football at Indianola High School. Street was so good; he was courted by colleges to play basketball early on in high school. With that, in his junior year, he decided to commit to playing basketball at the University of Iowa.
As a true freshman, Street played in a total of 28 games. He averaged 5.1 points per game with a field goal percentage of .50, a two-point percentage of .50 and a free throw percentage of .647. Granted, his first year with the Hawkeyes wasn’t the big banner year everyone thought it might be, but he was learning and would eventually improve his game.
During the 1991-1992 season, Street averaged 10.6 points per game with a field goal percentage of .564, a two-point percentage of .598 and a free throw percentage of .681. During that season, Street played in 30 games.
The 1992-1993 season saw Street play in 15 games before his passing. He was averaging 14.5 points per game with a field goal percentage of .574 along with a free throw percentage of .681. His final game was one of his best.
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The Hawkeyes played the Duke Blue Devils and Street ended up scoring 14 points while collecting eight rebounds. More importantly, he continued a nice little streak he had been on which was adding to the record for making free throws. That record streak had extended to 34 in that final game. That set a school record.
On a cold and snowy January, January 19th, 1993 to be exact, Street and his girlfriend Kim Vinton had joined the team for dinner at the Highlander Inn which was located just outside of Iowa City. As Street and Vinton were getting onto the road Street’s car and a snowplow ran into each other. Vinton was injured in the accident, but Street was killed.
The Iowa team and fans went into mourning. Thoughts and prayers were given to the team and Street’s family from all over. On February 6, 1993, Street’s number 40 jersey was retired. After Street’s death, the school put together the Chris Street Award. That honor is given to the Iowa Hawkeye basketball player who embodies the spirit that Street had.
On the marker just above Street’s grave, there is an inscription. It reads “Son Brother Grandson Friend Cousin Nephew and Hero. His parents, Mike and Patty Street, just released a book about Chris called Emotion in Motion. The University of Iowa basketball team had a night honoring Street for the 25th anniversary of his passing.
Fans still remember and talk about him with reverence yet today.