Ex-Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic Player Brandon Hunter Dies at 42, Report Says

Brandon Hunter, a professional athlete who spent two seasons in the NBA, has died, according to friends. He was 42. Details surrounding his death, including the date and cause, were not immediately confirmed. Jeff Boals, the head coach of men’s basketball at Ohio University, Hunter’s alma mater, took to his Instagram Story on Tuesday to mourn his loss. “RIP to a Bobcat great,” Boals wrote. “Gone way too soon.” Tim O’Shea, a former Ohio coach, shared on Facebook that “apparently” Hunter had “collapsed at the end of a yoga class.” O’Shea called Hunter “the best player I ever had the good Fortune of coaching.” After his stint with Ohio, Hunter was selected as the 56th pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2003 NBA Draft. Spending one season with the Celtics and another with the Orlando Magic, Hunter played 67 games in the league. He then moved on to a prolific career as a journeyman player overseas in places like Greece, Italy, and Israel. T.J. Ford, another NBA alum, also addressed Hunter’s death on Tuesday. “We just spoke last week,” he tweeted. “Losing a lot of my friends lately.”