Rooney also served as the US ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012, becoming the first ambassador from the US to visit each of Ireland’s 32 counties. The smallest crowd – 4,725 – turned out at Soldier Field to watch the Spurs defeat the St Louis Stars 2-1; club officials claimed tornado warnings kept the numbers down. He did just that, but the team’s attacking players had little to offer. Well, he became the first player in NBA history to be in the top 20 for points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals in a season.