People work at the Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-86J plane wreckage, after it overran the runway during landing and crashed, at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport, Turkey February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Brandon Hunter, former NBA player for Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic, dead at 42
Former Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic NBA player Brandon Hunter has died at the age of 42.
His passing was announced by Ohio men’s basketball coach Jeff Boals, who wrote: ‘RIP to a Bobcat Great,’ Boals wrote on Instagram and X. ‘Gone way too soon.’
The Magic also took to social media about his death, saying: ‘We are terribly saddened to learn of the loss of our former teammate, Brandon Hunter. We send our deepest condolences to the entire Hunter family.’
Ex-NBA point guard T.J. Ford also spoke about Hunter’s death, saying on his Instagram: ‘Lost another good brother. Rest easy my friend.’
A cause of death has not yet been announced. After a playing career that eventually took him outside of the NBA and into Europe, Hunter set up his own sports management company – Hunter Athletes Management.
Its website describes Hunter as having a vast network of contacts across the globe and as working closely with players to devise a ‘strategic career plan’.
After leaving the Magic in 2005, Hunter played across Europe for teams in Greece, Italy and Israel.
Hunter was born in Ohio and went to university there. He was drafted by the Celtics in 2003, selected in 56th overall in the second round – and he wore the No 56 to correlate with his NBA move.
In 2006, he was signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers – where LeBron James was playing – and played in the NBA Summer League but was released two weeks later.
