Overview

Leslie "Les" Hunter (August 16, 1942 – March 27, 2020) was an American professional basketball player known for his work as a frontcourt player in both the National Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Hunter built a career as a reliable inside scorer and rebounder and earned the nickname "Big Game" for his performance in important contests. He spent time in the NBA and then in the ABA as that league established itself as a major professional alternative in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Playing career

Hunter had an early stint in the NBA before moving to the ABA, where he played several seasons for multiple franchises. His professional journey included a tenure with the Baltimore Bullets in the mid-1960s and a series of assignments with ABA clubs that included the Minnesota Muskies (which became the Miami Floridians), the Kentucky Colonels and the Memphis Sounds. He was selected twice to ABA All-Star teams, marking him among the more prominent players in that league during its formative years. For general context on his professional role see professional basketball, and for his place of birth see Nashville, Tennessee.

Style and role

Primarily a forward with the ability to play near the basket, Hunter was noted for physical play, rebounding and interior scoring rather than long-range shooting or ball-handling. His size and temperament suited the rougher, fast-paced style that characterized much of the ABA game. Teammates and opponents remembered him as a dependable big man who could change the tone of a game with physical defense and effort on the glass.

Achievements and significance

Hunter's two ABA All-Star nods represent the highest widely recognized individual honors of his career. Beyond personal accolades, his career illustrates the fluid movement of players between the NBA and ABA and the shifting roster landscape of pro basketball clubs during that era. His experience with multiple franchises reflects both the opportunities and instability players often faced as the ABA sought to establish itself alongside the NBA. For background on the leagues in which he played, see NBA and a representative franchise reference Baltimore Bullets.

Later life and death

After retiring from professional play, Hunter remained part of the broader basketball community remembered by fans of the ABA era. He died on March 27, 2020 at the age of 77; his death was attributed to cancer, as noted in contemporary reports (cause of death). For additional summaries and retrospectives, see a career compilation entry career summary.