Leslie Henry Hunter (August 16, 1942 – March 27, 2020) was an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA) and the
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...
(ABA). Hunter played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
Loyola Ramblers
The Loyola Ramblers (also called the Loyola Chicago Ramblers) are the varsity sports teams of Loyola University Chicago. Most teams compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference, which the school joined in 2022 after leaving the Missouri Valley Confere ...
and was the starting
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
on their
NCAA championship
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...
team in 1963. He was a two-time
ABA All-Star
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist after merging with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976. In total, the league held nine all-star games, with al ...
.
Early life
Hunter was born in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
. A
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
/
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
, Hunter attended
Pearl High School and
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Cathol ...
. He played alongside
Vic Rouse at Pearl High School and the two would later attend Loyola University together. Hunter and Rouse led Pearl to 54 consecutive victories and black national high school championships in 1958, 1959 and 1960.
College career
At Loyola, Hunter was the starting center, of the team that upset the
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...
in overtime to win the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. Hunter and the other four Loyola starters played the entire
game
A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...
, without substitution. In a 1963 first-round Mideast Regional victory by Hunter and the Ramblers over Tennessee Tech, 111–42, remains a record margin of victory for an NCAA men's basketball tournament game.
In 1961–1962, as a sophomore, Hunter made his varsity debut and averaged 12.8 points and 8.7 rebounds, as Loyola finished 23–4 under Coach
George Ireland
George Ireland (June 15, 1913 – September 14, 2001) was an American basketball coach who led the Loyola Ramblers to the 1963 NCAA championship.
Background
Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Ireland was an All-American basketball player at the Univer ...
and made the Final Four of the 12-team
1962 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
![1963 Loyola v Iowa - Les Hunter layup](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/1963_Loyola_v_Iowa_-_Les_Hunter_layup.png)
As a junior in 1962–1963, Hunter averaged 17.0 points (on 53% shooting) with 11.4 rebounds, as Loyola finished 29–2 and captured the
1963 NCAA Championship. Hunter was second on the team to
Jerry Harkness
Jerald B. Harkness (May 7, 1940 – August 24, 2021) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association (ABA ...
in scoring and
Vic Rouse in rebounding. Hunter was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team. After playing well in victories over
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Technological University, commonly referred to as Tennessee Tech, is a public research university in Cookeville, Tennessee, United States. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, and before that as University of Dixie ...
(111–42),
Mississippi State
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univers ...
with
Bailey Howell
Bailey E. Howell (born January 20, 1937) is an American former professional basketball player. After playing college basketball at Mississippi State, Howell played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Howell was a six-time NBA ...
(61–51), and
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
(79–54), Hunter had 29 points and 18 rebounds in the Ramblers' 92–75 Semi-Final victory over
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
. Hunter then scored 16 points with 11 rebounds in the 60–58 overtime NCAA Championship game against
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
and .
In the championship game overtime, Rouse scored “The Shot Heard ‘Round the Basketball World,” as he rebounded a Hunter missed shot from 12 feet (after a pass from Jerry Harkness) and make the game-winning putback at the buzzer.
Hunter described the last moments: “See, I was going in to try and rebound Jerry’s shot, but he tricked me and threw me the ball, I had to stop and adjust my shot. It’s hard to make a jumper if you’re floating; the laws of physics dictate that. But Vic went up and tipped it in. Vic and I had played on the same team in high school,” he said. “I told him, ‘We stayed together just for this moment.' ”
In his senior year, 1963–1964, Hunter led Loyola to a 22–6 record, averaging 21.4 points and 15.3 rebounds, as the Ramblers made the
1964 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. Hunter had 13 points and 22 rebounds in a 101–91 win against
Murray State
Murray State University (MSU) is a public university in Murray, Kentucky. In addition to the main campus in Calloway County in southwestern Kentucky, Murray State operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah, ...
and 25 points and 6 rebounds in a 84–80 loss to
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
with
Cazzie Russell
Cazzie Lee Russell (born June 7, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. An NBA All-Star, he was selected by the New York Knicks with the first overall pick of the 1966 NBA draft. He won an NBA championship with ...
and
Bill Buntin
William L. Buntin (May 5, 1942 – May 9, 1968) was an American basketball player. He played collegiately for the University of Michigan and in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Buntin died of a heart attack at age 26.
College career
Bun ...
. In his final game, the 3rd place Mideast NCAA Regional game, Hunter scored 27 points with 18 rebounds in a 100–91 victory over Coach
Adolph Rupp
Adolph Frederick Rupp (September 2, 1901 – December 10, 1977) was an American college basketball coach. He is ranked seventh in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching at the Univ ...
and his
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...
.
In his varsity career at Loyola, Hunter led the Ramblers to a 74–12 record, scoring 1472 total points, with 1074 total rebounds. Hunter averaged a
double-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
of 17.1 points and 11.8 rebounds in his 86 career games.
Professional career
Hunter was drafted by the
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
with the 11th pick overall (2nd round) of the
1964 NBA draft
The 1964 NBA draft was the 18th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 4, 1964, before the 1964–65 season. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players ...
.
On June 18, 1964, Hunter was traded by the Pistons with
Bob Ferry
Robert Dean Ferry (May 31, 1937 – October 27, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, assistant coach, and general manager (GM) in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the St. Louis Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and ...
,
Bailey Howell
Bailey E. Howell (born January 20, 1937) is an American former professional basketball player. After playing college basketball at Mississippi State, Howell played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Howell was a six-time NBA ...
,
Wali Jones
Walter Jones (born February 14, 1942) is an American former professional basketball player. He was a 6'2" (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) guard.
Early life
Born in Philadelphia, Jones played at Overbrook High School, the same school that had ...
, and
Don Ohl
Donald Jay Ohl (born April 18, 1936) is an American former professional basketball player who spent 10 seasons (1960–1970) in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His nickname was ''Waxie'' because of his crew cut.
College career
Ohl ...
to the
Baltimore Bullets for
Terry Dischinger
Terry Gilbert Dischinger (born November 21, 1940) is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dischinger was a three-time NBA All-Star and the 1963 NBA Rookie of the Year, after averaging 28 points per gam ...
,
Don Kojis
Donald R. Kojis (January 15, 1939 – November 19, 2021) was an American professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA)..
Career
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he attended Marquette Universi ...
and
Rod Thorn
Rodney King Thorn (born May 23, 1941) is an American basketball executive and a former professional player and coach, Olympic Committee Chairman, with a career spanning over 50 years. In 2018, Thorn was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Baske ...
. Hunter played for one season (1964–1965) in the NBA with the Bullets. He averaged 1.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 4 minutes per game over 24 games.
In 1965–1966 and 1966–1967, Hunter played for the Twin City Sailors of the
North American Basketball League
The North American Basketball League (NABL) is an American minor professional basketball league organization founded in 2016.
History
Formed in 2016, the NABL began with 10 teams based in the South and Southwest regions of the United States. ...
(NABL). He averaged 23.1 points and 13.0 rebounds for the Sailors in 1966–1967.
Hunter was drafted in the
American Basketball Association Draft The American Basketball Association draft was held from 1967 to 1975.
First overall picks
Note: 1974 ABA College Draft, not 1974 ABA Draft of NBA Players
Further reading
*{{cite book, last=Bradley, first=Robert D., title=The Basketball Draft Fac ...
(ABA) by the newly formed league and was signed by the
Minnesota Muskies
The Minnesota Muskies were a member of the American Basketball Association, born with the league's creation on February 2, 1967. L.P. Shields and Fred Jefferson were the owners after paying a franchise fee of $30,000. The team then played one seaso ...
in 1967. He averaged 17.6 points and 9.6 rebounds in his first ABA season. Hunter had 7 points and 8 rebounds playing in the first
ABA All-Star Game
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist after merging with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976. In total, the league held nine all-star game
An all- ...
in January 1968. The Muskies finished 50–28 under Coach
Jim Pollard
James Clifford Pollard (July 9, 1922 – January 22, 1993) was an American professional basketball player and coach. As a player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Pollard was considered one of the best forwards in the 1950s and was k ...
, defeating the
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of ...
3–2 in the playoffs before losing to the eventual ABA Champion
Pittsburgh Pipers
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylv ...
4–1 in the Eastern Division Finals, despite Hunter averaging 21.4 points in the playoffs.
Hunter scored 12 points with 6 rebounds in the
1969 ABA All-Star Game
The second American Basketball Association All-Star Game was played on January 28, 1969, at Louisville Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky before an audience at 5,407, between teams from the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference. ...
. He averaged 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds and 1.6 points for the
Miami Floridians
The Miami Floridians, later in their history known simply as The Floridians, were a professional basketball franchise in the original, now-defunct American Basketball Association. The Miami Floridians played in the ABA from 1968 through 1970 wh ...
in 1968-1968 as the original Minnesota franchise moved to Miami. The Floridians finished 48–35 under coach Pollard, defeating the relocated
Minnesota Pipers
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to i ...
4–3 in the playoffs before losing 4–1 to the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
in the Eastern Division Finals, as Hunter averaged 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in the playoffs.
With the
New York Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
in 1969–1970, Hunter averaged 16.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, playing under Coach
York Larese
York Bruno Larese (July 18, 1938 – February 6, 2016) was an American basketball player and coach. Amateur career
Larese was born in New York City and attended St. Ann's Academy (now Archbishop Molloy High School) in Queens. A 6'4" (1.93 m) gua ...
for the 39–45 Nets. Hunter averaged 16.1 points and 6.0 rebounds in a seven-game playoff series loss to the Kentucky Colonels.
Overall, Hunter played six seasons (1967–1973) in the ABA with the
Minnesota Muskies
The Minnesota Muskies were a member of the American Basketball Association, born with the league's creation on February 2, 1967. L.P. Shields and Fred Jefferson were the owners after paying a franchise fee of $30,000. The team then played one seaso ...
(1967–1968)/
Miami Floridians
The Miami Floridians, later in their history known simply as The Floridians, were a professional basketball franchise in the original, now-defunct American Basketball Association. The Miami Floridians played in the ABA from 1968 through 1970 wh ...
(1968–1969),
New York Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
(1969–1971),
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of ...
(1970–1972), and
Memphis Tams
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
(1972–1973). Overall, Hunter scored 5,735 points in his professional career and was a two-time
ABA All-Star
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist after merging with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976. In total, the league held nine all-star games, with al ...
.
Hunter played in the first
ABA All-Star game
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist after merging with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976. In total, the league held nine all-star game
An all- ...
in 1968 in
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...
alongside
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
inductees
Larry Brown,
Cliff Hagan
Clifford Oldham Hagan (born December 9, 1931) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6-4 forward who excelled with the hook shot, Hagan, nicknamed "Li'l Abner", played his entire 10-year NBA career (1956–1966) with the St. Lo ...
,
Mel Daniels
Melvin Joe Daniels (July 20, 1944 – October 30, 2015) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the Minnesota Muskies, Indiana Pacers, and Memphis Sounds, and in the National Bask ...
,
Louie Dampier
Louis Dampier (born November 20, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player.
A 6-foot-tall guard, Dampier is one of only a handful of men to play all nine seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA) (1967–1976), all w ...
,
Roger Brown and
Connie Hawkins
Cornelius Lance "Connie" Hawkins (July 17, 1942 – October 6, 2017) was an American professional basketball player. A New York City playground legend, "the Hawk"
was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.
Early ye ...
.
Hunter averaged 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in his 444 career American Basketball Association games.
Life after basketball
After retiring from basketball, Hunter moved to
Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
in 1976. He owned a restaurant for ten years and worked as an instructor helping students who did not graduate take online classes to complete high school.
In 2018, Hunter was teaching math at a community college near his
Overland Park
Overland Park ( ) is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in Johnson County, Kansas, it is one of four principal cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the most populous suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As o ...
home in suburban Kansas City, wearing a Loyola cap to class during the NCAA tournament.
He died on March 27, 2020, from cancer at the age of 77.
Awards and honors
* On July 11, 2013, in the
Oval Office
The Oval Office is the formal working space of the President of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C.
The oval-shaped room ...
of the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
, Hunter and former Loyola teammates
John Egan,
Jerry Harkness
Jerald B. Harkness (May 7, 1940 – August 24, 2021) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association (ABA ...
and Ron Miller met with President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the school's 1963 national championship. To date it remains the only NCAA Division I basketball championship won by a university from the state of Illinois.
* In September 2013, the entire 1963 Loyola Ramblers NCAA Championship basketball team was inducted into the
Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame The Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, located in the Hawthorne Race Course, in Stickney/Cicero, near Chicago, honors sports greats associated with the Chicago metropolitan area. It was founded in 1979 as a trailer owned by the Olympia Brewing Compan ...
.
* The 1963 Loyola Ramblers were inducted in the
College Basketball Hall of Fame
The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a hall of fame and museum dedicated to men's college basketball. The museum is an integral portion of the College Basketball Experience created by the National ...
in November 2013, making it the first team inducted into the Hall of Fame.
* In 2016, Hunter and Pearl teammate Vic Rouse were inducted into the Metro Nashville Public Schools Sports Hall of Fame.
*1991, Hunter was inducted into the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame and his No. 41 was retired.
References
Further reading
* ''Ramblers: Loyola Chicago 1963 – The Team That Changed the Color of College Basketball'' by Michael Lenehan, published by
Agate Publishing
Agate Publishing is an independent small press book publisher based in Evanston, Illinois. The company, incorporated in 2002 with its first book published in 2003, was founded by current president Doug Seibold. At its inception, Agate was synonymo ...
, February 18, 2013.
External links
*
Les Hunter College Statscollegiate stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunter, Les
1942 births
2020 deaths
20th-century African-American sportspeople
21st-century African-American people
African-American basketball players
American men's basketball players
Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973) players
Basketball players from Nashville, Tennessee
Detroit Pistons draft picks
Kentucky Colonels players
Loyola Ramblers men's basketball players
Memphis Tams players
Miami Floridians players
Minnesota Muskies players
New York Nets players
Power forwards (basketball)