There’s a questionnaire on UND.com published in February 2003 titled “20 Questions With Chris Quinn.” It’s from the second half of the former Notre Dame point guard’s freshman year.
One of the questions he was asked prompted his plans for life after college basketball. For a 19-year-old college basketball player, his answer was cliche but also predictive.
“To continue playing basketball somewhere, but if not that then I hope to be coaching basketball on some level,” Quinn responded 18 years ago.
After playing a reserve role in 2002-03, he started 82 games over the course of his final three seasons with the Fighting Irish. This included a sterling senior year in which he averaged 17.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game on his way to First-Team All-Big East honors.
After graduating in 2006, Quinn went undrafted in the NBA Draft and signed a partially guaranteed contract with the Miami Heat, the reigning champions at the time.
Chances were slim he’d earn a roster spot, but he ended up impressing at the 2006 NBA Summer League which led to a seven-year professional basketball career. This included six seasons in the NBA with two overseas teams mixed in. He played for the Heat through the 2010 season before stints with the New Jersey Nets and the San Antonio Spurs.
His 241 career NBA games actually rank fifth among former Notre Dame players who played for coach Mike Brey, who has been at the helm of the program for more than 20 years.
“As an undrafted free agent, you’ve got to find your way,” Quinn said. “You have to work really hard. There's a lot of different characteristics that teams are looking for. Most importantly, you really have to show a certain level of grit and determination because it's not easy.
"Most of the players coming into the draft or who go undrafted, in one way or another, were the better or best players on their college team.”
