The family of former NBA player Brandon Hunter says the 42-year-old died suddenly on Tuesday after collapsing during a hot yoga session in Orlando, Fla.
Carolyn Cliett, the mother-in-law of Hunter, spoke to NBC News about the tragedy.
“It was hot yoga, and he did it regularly,” Cliett said. “He was in good shape as far as we know. We’re just shocked.”
Hunter appeared in 67 total games for the Celtics and Magic during a two-season NBA career that spanned from 2003-05.
Boston selected the 6-foot-7 forward in the second round, 56th overall, in the 2003 NBA Draft.
Before that, Hunter was a three-time All-MAC player for Ohio University and led the NCAA in rebounding his senior year, averaging 12.6 boards per game during the 2002-03 season.
Current Bobcats head coach Jeff Boals released a statement following Hunter’s death.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Brandon Hunter,” Boals said. “Brandon was a phenomenal player at Ohio who went on to have a great pro career. He was up on campus last year, with his son, for his well-deserved induction into the Ohio University Athletics Hall of Fame.
“Brandon was a great ambassador for Ohio, a great teammate, a great competitor, and a great family man. Brandon had an infectious personality that touched many people along his journey and will be truly missed. We are thinking about and praying for his wife Mary and three children during this time.”
After his NBA career, Hunter played overseas in Greece, Italy, Puerto Rico, Israel and Turkey, later launching a real estate and sports management company in his native Cincinnati.
“I initially wanted to go into coaching,” Hunter told WCPO in 2017. “But with my background and everything that I learned about the collective bargaining agreement in the NBA and the transactions I’ve seen while living abroad, the understanding of how teams recruit and how different styles are in different countries, I decided to go into management.
“I thought it would be where I would blossom and be the best.”
Hunter is survived by his wife, Mary, and three children who range in age from five to 15.