At the age of 42, Brandon Hunter, a former player for the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic, passed away on Tuesday.
Although a cause of death was not disclosed, his mother-in-law, Carolyn Cliett, claimed he passed away in Orlando while performing hot yoga.
She told NBC News, “It was hot yoga, and he did it regularly.” As far as we know, he was in terrific health. We are merely taken aback.”
The 6-foot-7 forward Hunter started all four years of his time at Ohio University, from 1999–2000 to 2002–2003. In 119 games with the Bobcats, he averaged 16.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. As a senior, he averaged 21.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.
The Celtics selected him in the second round of the 2003 draft (56th overall). Hunter played in 36 games (12 starts) for Boston in 2003-04, producing 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest.
He played 31 games, all off the bench, the following season for the Magic, averaging 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds.
Former Ohio basketball coach Tim O’Shea posted on Facebook of Hunter, “He was the best player I ever had the good Fortune of coaching — he excelled at Ohio University, and then went on to play in the NBA for Boston and Orlando, then successfully in Europe, before transitioning to a successful career as a sports agent. We stayed in touch over the years, and I was incredibly proud of the husband, father, and citizen he became.. please keep his family in your prayers.”
In a 122-99 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday, Victor Wembanyama recorded one of the greatest scoring performances in NBA history with 27 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
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With blocks becoming an official statistic in 1973–74, the San Antonio Spurs rookie joins Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul–Jabbar, David Robinson, and Ralph Sampson as the only players in NBA history with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 10 blocks, and 5 assists in a game. All four players are inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Wembanyama is the first rookie since Tim Duncan (1998–1999) to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a single game. He is also the fourth player in Spurs club history to get 10 blocks in a game.
Sampson, Mark Eaton, and Robinson are the only three rookies to have recorded a triple double with blocks since 1973–74.
Here are a few more noteworthy figures from Wembanyama’s astounding performance.
28:59: It was a brief night’s labor before Wembanyama’s incredible excursion.
In a mere 28 minutes and 59 seconds of play, he made NBA history by being the first player to record 10 blocks and 5 assists in less than 30 minutes since 1973–74.
1. Wembanyama now owns two career triple-doubles, but his most recent one cemented him in the annals of sports history.
He’s the first player since 1973–74 to record a triple-double with blocks and multiple made 3-pointers (he went 2-for–4). Additionally, he’s the first rookie to accomplish so since blocks were originally included in official statistics in 1973–74.
Since Josh Smith in 2004, Wembanyama is also the only rookie to record ten blocks in a single game.
With 50 steals in a single season, Wembanyama becomes the only rookie since Duncan to have 150 assists, 50 steals, and blocks. Wembanyama only needed 48 games—the second-fewest career games since 1973–1974—to reach 150 blocks and 50 steals, with Robinson (47) taking the longest.
6: Wembanyama swatted six in the third quarter, accounting for the majority of his damage-inducing block attempts. That’s tied for the most blocks a rookie has had in a quarter during the previous 25 seasons and the most by any player in a quarter this season.
71.4%: Wembanyama continued to play incredibly efficiently even after grabbing rebounds and assists.
Setting a career high, he shot 71.4% (10-for-14) from the field.
HOUSTON — The Rockets picked up a victory after a call the officials said was wrong.
Aaron Holiday had 18 points, capped by two free throws after a disputed foul call on Jalen Brunson behind the 3-point line, lifting the Rockets to a 105-103 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday night.
Houston had a four-point lead with less than a minute to go before Brunson tallied the next four points, capped by a jump shot with 8.1 seconds left to tie the score at 103.
New York’s Precious Achiuwa then blocked a short shot by Jalen Green, and Holiday grabbed the ball beyond the arc and shot it as Brunson rushed out at him and was called for a foul.
After the game, crew chief Ed Malloy said that in live action the referees believed “the lower body contact was illegal contact.” But their opinion changed following a replay review.
“After seeing it during postgame review, the offensive player was able to return to a normal playing position on the floor,” Malloy said. “The contact which occurred after the release of the ball therefore is incidental and marginal to the shot attempt and should not have been called.”
Holiday was asked about the play before Malloy’s comments.
“I just tried to get the ball and get a shot up,” Holiday said. “I saw him tip it, and it came close to me, so I just tried to get it and tried to make a 3, and Jalen just ran into my chest.”
Holiday made the first two free throws before missing the third intentionally to run out the clock.
Brunson was asked about what he thought of the foul call three different times and answered with the same four words each time.
“Great call,” he said. “Next question.”
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was asked about the game’s ending.
“Tough way to lose a game,” he said twice in a row.
Thibodeau then was asked what he thought about the officiating, and he said it was “great.” But when asked directly if he believed Brunson fouled Holiday, he avoided the question.
“You look at it,” he said, slightly shaking his head.
“The thing with the officials — this is the way I feel about that, in general,” Thibodeau added. “I don’t really care how tight the game is called. You can call it tight. You can call it loose. We like consistency to be the same. And they have a job. They have to control and manage the game. That’s their No. 1 responsibility. So, they have to use their judgment, and I have respect for that. Didn’t go our way tonight.”
Dillon Brooks scored 23 points, Jabari Smith Jr. added 20 and Alperen Sengun put up 18 to help the Rockets snap a four-game skid.
“It was good to see us close it out in the fourth in a back-and-forth game,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said.
Holiday was happy the Rockets finished this one after losing a couple of close contests.
“This was huge,” he said. “We lost the last two I feel like we could have won and just didn’t get it done down the stretch. So, I’m glad we were able to pull this one out.”
Brunson posted 27 points, and Donte DiVincenzo scored 23 as the Knicks lost their third straight.
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