Brandon Hunter, NBA Star And Withrow Hall Of Famer, Dead At 42
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Brandon Hunter, former NBA player for the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic, has died at the age of 42.
According to Ohio University’s head basketball coach Jeff Boals, Hunter passed away on Tuesday night (Sept. 12). Boals took to X (formerly known as Twitter) sharing that it was a “sad day for Bobcat Nation.”
“Brandon Hunter, Gone way too soon,” he wrote. “One of the best to ever put on the green and white. #RIP.” Boals did not reveal a cause of death.
“We are terribly saddened to learn of the loss of our former teammate, Brandon Hunter,” the Orlando Magic stated on X. “We send our deepest condolences to the entire Hunter family.” The note was written by the Magic’s owners, the DeVos family, as well as players, coaches, and staff of the team.
Per PEOPLE, Hunter became a Boston Celtics player during the 2003 NBA draft as the 56th overall pick. During his time on the team for one season, Hunter played in 36 games, averaging 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds. From his time as a Celtic, he was traded to the Orlando Magic, where he averaged 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 31 games during the 2004-2005 season.
After leaving the NBA, Hunter played International for Greece, Italy, Puerto Rico, and Turkey before returning to become a real estate agent and local sports manager, WCPO-TV reported.
“I told myself that once I was done playing, I was going to go to school for real estate and get my license no matter where I was,” Hunter told the news outlet following his induction into the Withrow Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.
He was inducted into Ohio University’s Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.
“I initially wanted to go into coaching,” he continued to the outlet. “But with my background and everything that I learned about the collective bargaining agreement in the NBA and the transactions I’ve seen while living abroad, the understanding of how teams recruit and how different styles are in different countries, I decided to go into management. I thought it would be where I would blossom and be the best.”
Hunter is survived by his wife Mary, and two children, Andrew and Tristan.
VIBE sends condolences to Brandon Hunter’s family and friends.
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