Former Ohio standout and Orlando Magic forward Brandon Hunter died on Tuesday, the team announced.
He was 42.
His cause of death was not immediately clear.
“We are terribly saddened to learn of the loss of our former teammate, Brandon Hunter,” the team said in a statement. “We send our deepest condolences to the entire Hunter family.”
Hunter, a Cincinnati native, played at Ohio for four seasons in college, and averaged 21.5 points and an NCAA-best 12.6 rebounds as a senior in the 2002-03 campaign. Current Bobcats coach Jeff Boals posted a tribute to Hunter on social media on Tuesday night, too.
Hunter then played in the NBA for two seasons. The Boston Celtics selected him late in the second round of the 2003 NBA Draft. He spent his rookie year with the Celtics, and averaged 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest in 36 games there. He was then picked up by the Charlotte Bobcats the next summer in the NBA expansion draft, and then dealt to the Magic in exchange for Keith Bogans. Hunter then averaged 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds with the Magic in 31 games.
Hunter then spent nearly a decade playing internationally in Greece, Italy, France and more. He most recently played in France’s top league in 2013 with Orléans Loiret Basket, and later started a sports management company.
