James Hunter (basketball)

James Paton Hunter (born 19 June 1991) is an Australian-New Zealand basketball player for the Maitland Mustangs of the NBL1 East.

James Hunter
Hunter with the Maitland Mustangs in 2022
Maitland Mustangs
PositionCentre
LeagueNBL1 East
Personal information
Born (1991-06-19) 19 June 1991
Nowra, New South Wales
NationalityAustralian / New Zealand
Listed height208 cm (6 ft 10 in)
Listed weight113 kg (249 lb)
Career information
High schoolCranbrook School
(Sydney, New South Wales)
College
NBA draft2015: undrafted
Playing career2009–present
Career history
2009–2011Sydney Comets
2015Manawatu Jets
2015–2016CB Zamora
2016Ballarat Miners
2017–2018Southland Sharks
2017–2018New Zealand Breakers
2019Knox Raiders
2020–2021Sydney Comets
2022–presentMaitland Mustangs
Career highlights and awards

Early life

Hunter was born in Nowra, New South Wales, but spent much of his childhood living with his grandmother in Taumarunui, New Zealand.[1] He subsequently obtained a New Zealand passport as a teenager.[1]

For high school, Hunter attended Cranbrook School in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, where he was selected to represent Australia as part of the Australian Schoolboys' basketball team which traveled to the United States to compete in tournaments throughout North Carolina over a two-week period. He was also selected for the NSW Schoolboys State team and competed in the School Sport Australia Basketball Championship. Hunter also played rugby during his time at Cranbrook.[2]

Between 2009 and 2011, Hunter also played in the Waratah League for the Sydney Comets.[3]

College career

Hunter's first college stint in the United States was at Gillette College.[2] After redshirting the 2010–11 season, he averaged 13.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in his lone season for Gillette in 2011–12.[2] He transferred to Washington State in 2012[4][5] and played just 18 games in two seasons.[6] For the 2014–15 season, he transferred to South Dakota and averaged 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 32 games.[6]

Professional career

Hunter returned to New Zealand in 2015 and joined the Manawatu Jets.[7] In eight games during the New Zealand NBL season, he averaged 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.[8]

For the 2015–16 season, Hunter played in Spain for Grupo INEC Zamora of the Liga EBA.[9]

Hunter returned to Australia in 2016 and joined the Ballarat Miners of the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL).[10] He was awarded SEABL Player of the Week for Round 19.[11] In 15 games for the Miners, he averaged 11.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.[12]

In 2017, Hunter played for the Southland Sharks.[13] In 18 games during the New Zealand NBL season, he averaged 7.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

On 11 July 2017, Hunter signed with the New Zealand Breakers for the 2017–18 NBL season.[14][15] On 8 January 2018, he was released by the Breakers.[16] He appeared in two games for the Breakers, totalling five points.[17] He later returned to the Southland Sharks for the 2018 New Zealand NBL season.[18]

In 2019, Hunter played for the Knox Raiders in the NBL1.[19][20]

Between 2020 and 2021, Hunter played for the Sydney Comets in the Waratah League.[21]

In March 2022, Hunter signed with the Maitland Mustangs for the 2022 NBL1 East season.[22] He was named team MVP.[23] In December 2022, he re-signed with the Mustangs for the 2023 season.[23]

National team career

Hunter played for New Zealand in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup.[24]

Personal

Hunter is the son of musicians Todd Hunter and Johanna Pigott.[1] He also has an older brother, Harry, and a younger brother, Joey.[2] His grandmother is Fijian.[14]

References
  1. James Hunter just as skilled at music as basketball
  2. "#13 James Hunter". wsucougars.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  3. "Player statistics for James Hunter". Waratah League. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  4. WSU Signs Another Aussie, James Hunter From JC
  5. James Hunter: WSU makes it official
  6. "#50 James Hunter". WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  7. James Hunter signs with Hub Jets NZ
  8. "Player statistics for James Hunter". NZNBL. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  9. El CB Zamora ficha al australiano James Hunter (in Spanish)
  10. Hunter Becomes a Miner
  11. ROUND 19 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
  12. "Player statistics for James Hunter". SEABL. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  13. Savory, Logan (9 November 2016). "Southland Sharks sign naturalised Kiwi". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  14. "SKYCITY BREAKERS SIGN HUNTER TO FULLTIME ROSTER". NZBreakers.co.nz. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  15. Hinton, Marc (11 July 2017). "NZ Breakers hope new signing James Hunter can hit right note in ANBL debut". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  16. France, Marvin (8 January 2018). "Christmas comes for Breakers as former NBA centre signed". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  17. "James Hunter". NBL.com.au. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  18. Hinton, Marc (20 October 2017). "Breakers big man James Hunter re-signs with Southland Sharks for 2018 NBL season". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  19. "Knox Raiders Senior Men sign James Hunter". knoxbasketball.com.au. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  20. "James Hunter set to tame Kilsyth Cobras in Knox Raiders debut". southcoastregister.com.au. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  21. "Player statistics for James Hunter". Waratah League. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  22. "HUNTER SIGNS ON!". facebook.com/maitland.mustangs. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  23. "A LATE CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR THE MUSTANGS! JIMMY IS BACK IN BLACK!". facebook.com/maitland.mustangs. 28 December 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  24. "Hunter's Tall Blacks off to winning start". southcoastregister.com.au. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
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