Hunter signs on for Breakers
Until now James Hunter’s main claim to fame in New Zealand might have been that his dad Todd was the bass guitarist in iconic Kiwi band Dragon.
But the 25-year-old Kiwi basketballer is now poised to strike his own chord in the sporting arena, signed by the New Zealand Breakers as their eighth fulltime roster player for the Australian NBL season.
Hunter has been splitting his time between Australia, where he has made his home, and Invercargill, where he has been playing for the Southland Sharks in the Kiwi NBL. But the hoopster will now add Auckland to that list of bases as he looks to forge a fulltime professional career.
The 2.08m centre/forward, who averaged 8.1 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Sharks in the 2017 NBL while shooting 45 percent from the field and 59 from the freethrow line, has won his big opportunity on the back of an impressive recent stint with the New Zealand Select team in China.
It also didn’t hurt that Breakers assistant Judd Flavell was his head coach in Southland and had a close-up look at the young big’s daily work habits and development.
Breakers coach Paul Henare, who went to China with the Select side, said he liked the potential for Hunter to provide some valuable minutes behind established bigs Alex Pledger and Rob Loe.
‘‘Our preference was always for a Kiwi to fill that role, and James fits the bill,’’ Henare said. ‘‘He had a great NBL season and was one of the most consistent players for New Zealand Select in China.
‘‘James is a mature player at 25 and while he is still learning and developing, he knows his game well and understands his role. He will give us hustle and size off the bench, can score in different ways and provides commitment and presence on the boards.’’
The well-travelled Hunter played at four different US colleges, including Washington State, and has had a stint in Spain, as well as a season with Manawatu (2015) in the Kiwi league.
But he is rapt to find his way on to the Breakers roster in a league he has plenty of respect for.
‘‘The Aussie NBL was a goal and I have been working with my agent to make it happen. I wasn’t thinking Breakers, but one thing has led to another and here we are,’’ he said.
‘‘It is a great programme, and they have a great culture. I got a taste of that with Judd – there is something special there. It is a club with a rich history and loves to win championships.’’
Though Hunter lives in Australia, he remains a Kiwi at heart with plenty of links via his father who moved across the ditch with Dragon in the late ‘70s.
‘‘New Zealand has always been special to me. I have a lot of family in New Zealand so it is a special place for me. I love the people, the culture, and what the Tall Blacks represent. I would love one day to pull on the black singlet.’’