Steven Hunter

{{About|the basketball player|the novelist|Stephen Hunter|the musician|Steve Hunter}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Steven Hunter

| image = Steven Hunter (161110-F-WV360-001) (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Hunter at Luke Air Force Base in 2016

| height_ft = 7

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 240

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|10|31}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| high_school = Proviso East (Maywood, Illinois)

| college = DePaul (1999–2001)

| draft_year = 2001

| draft_round = 1

| draft_pick = 15

| draft_team = Orlando Magic

| career_start = 2001

| career_end = 2011

| career_number = 34, 45

| career_position =Center / power forward

| years1 = {{nbay|2001|start}}–{{nbay|2003|end}}

| team1 = Orlando Magic

| years2 = {{nbay|2004|full=y}}

| team2 = Phoenix Suns

| years3 = {{nbay|2005|start}}–{{nbay|2006|end}}

| team3 = Philadelphia 76ers

| years4 = {{nbay|2007|start}}–{{nbay|2007|end}}

| team4 = Denver Nuggets

| years5 = {{nbay|2009|full=y}}

| team5 = Memphis Grizzlies

| years6 = 2011

| team6 = Dinamo Sassari

| highlights =

}}

Steven Deon Hunter (born October 31, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. He is listed as a center. He most recently played for Dinamo Sassari.

High school and college career

Hunter played basketball at Proviso East High School, which has produced other NBA players such as Sherell Ford, Michael Finley, Jim Brewer, Doc Rivers, Dee Brown, Donnie Boyce, Reggie Jordan, Shannon Brown, Sterling Brown, and Jevon Carter. Hunter then played two years at DePaul University in Chicago, before declaring himself eligible for the 2001 NBA draft.

Professional career

As a rookie, Hunter set a then-career high points total with 17 points on December 5, 2001, in a 102–74 win over the Chicago Bulls.{{Cite web|title=Chicago Bulls at Orlando Magic Box Score, December 5, 2001|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200112050ORL.html|access-date=2022-01-25|website=Basketball-Reference.com|language=en}}

In 2002 during training camp with the Magic he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and missed 49 games of the 2002–2003 NBA season.{{Cite web|title=MAGIC'S HUNTER TEARS ACL|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2002-08-27-0208270252-story.html|last=Writer|first=Jerry Brewer, Sentinel Staff|website=OrlandoSentinel.com|date=27 August 2002 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-12}}

On April 24, 2005, then on the Phoenix Suns, Hunter scored a postseason career high 16 points, alongside grabbing 5 rebounds, in a 114–103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.{{Cite web|title=Memphis Grizzlies at Phoenix Suns Box Score, April 24, 2005|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200504240PHO.html|access-date=2022-01-25|website=Basketball-Reference.com|language=en}} Hunter and the Suns would ultimately make it to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Spurs.

In the 2005 offseason, he signed with the 76ers as a free agent. They traded him to the New Orleans Hornets on February 1, 2006, in exchange for two second-round draft picks in 2006 and 2007. On February 10, Philadelphia president Billy King announced that the Hornets rescinded the deal.

On September 10, 2007, Hunter was traded with Bobby Jones by the 76ers to the Denver Nuggets for Reggie Evans and the draft rights to Ricky Sanchez.[https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Atw5C_4umJ.NWg8Vx9Q6bEW8vLYF?slug=ap-76ers-nuggetstrade&prov=ap&type=lgns Nuggets send Evans to Philadelphia for Hunter, Jones; Sixers also sign free agent Booth]{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, published September 10, 2007

On August 7, 2009, the Nuggets traded Hunter and a lottery-protected 2010 first-round draft pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for a future second-round pick.{{cite web| url=http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/grizzlies_aquire_first_round_pick_and_hunter-090807.html |title=Grizzlies acquire first round Draft Pick from Nuggets |date=2009-08-07 |work=NBA.com |accessdate=2009-08-08}}

Hunter's final NBA game was played on February 6, 2010, in a 102–109 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves where he recorded 2 points and 1 rebound in 5 minutes of play.

In October 2011 he signed with Dinamo Sassari in Italy.{{Cite web|title=Sportsglory | Product Guides for Athletes & Sports Records|url=https://sportsglory.com/|access-date=2022-01-25|website=Sportsglory|language=en-US}}

In 2013, Hunter became a community liaison for the NBA and the Phoenix Suns throughout the community in Arizona.{{cite news |author= |date=May 27, 2014 |title= Former Sun Steven Hunter motivates others |url= https://www.fhtimes.com/fountain-hills-independent/stories/former-sun-steven-hunter-motivates-others,444446 |work= The Fountain Hills Times|location= |access-date=March 18, 2024}}