Lindsey Hunter

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Lore & Background

Hunter played college basketball at Alcorn State University and then Jackson State University. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 10th pick in the 1993 NBA draft. As a rookie, he played in all 82 games, averaging 10.3 points and a career-high 4.8 assists per game. During the 1996-97 season, he averaged a career-high 14.2 points per game, and in the playoffs that year he averaged 15 points per game in a 3–2 first-round loss to the Hawks. He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Billy Owens in 2000, then to the Los Angeles Lakers for Greg Foster the following season, winning an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2001–02. On draft night 2002, he was traded to the Toronto Raptors along with the rights to Chris Jefferies for Tracy Murray and Kareem Rush. In August 2003, the Pistons re-acquired Hunter by sending Michael Curry to the Raptors. He was traded to the Boston Celtics in February 2004 along with Chucky Atkins and Detroit's 2004 first-round draft pick for Mike James, in order to make the salary cap figures work for the trade that brought Rasheed Wallace to the Pistons. Hunter never played a game for the Celtics; he was immediately released and re-signed by Detroit a week later. He won a second NBA championship with the Pistons in 2003–04 and returned to the Finals in 2004–05, losing to the San Antonio Spurs. On March 7, 2007, Hunter was suspended for ten games after testing positive for phentermine. He signed with the Chicago Bulls in November 2008 and re-signed with them in July 2009. At age 39, he was the oldest player active during the 2009–2010 season until the Bulls waived him on March 3, 2010. Two days later, the Bulls hired him as a player development assistant. He later served as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns, then as interim head coach of the Suns in 2013, going 12–29. He then joined the Golden State Warriors as an assistant coach. In 2016, he became an assistant coach at the University at Buffalo. In 2019, he was named head coach at Mississippi Valley State University, going 7–74 in three years. In July 2025, he was named head coach of the boys varsity basketball team at Sparta High School in Sparta, Michigan, but mutually agreed to separate employment in September 2025.

In Their Own Story

The 2004 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs defined Hunter's tenure in Detroit. After winning the championship that year, the Pistons returned to the Finals in 2005 but lost a hard-fought seven-game series to the Spurs. Throughout these runs, Hunter earned credit for his gritty defense off the bench. His career faced a significant hurdle on March 7, 2007, when he was suspended for ten games after testing positive for phentermine; he claimed the result came from using his wife's diet pills. He later joined the Chicago Bulls in November 2008 on a one-year nonguaranteed contract, re-signing the following July for $1.3 million to mentor young point guard Derrick Rose. At age 39, Hunter was the oldest active player in the 2009–2010 season until the Bulls waived him on March 3, 2010, to make room for Chris Richard. Two days later, he transitioned into a player development assistant role with Chicago.

Reader's Guide

Lindsey Hunter was a tenacious on-ball defender off the bench during the Pistons' Finals runs, credited with guarding Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, and Tony Parker. He was a veteran mentor to young point guard Derrick Rose during his time with the Bulls. His coaching career includes a brief stint as interim head coach of the Phoenix Suns and a three-year tenure at Mississippi Valley State.

Did You Know?

• Hunter averaged a playoff career-high 15 points per game during the 1997 first-round loss to the Hawks.
• He was suspended for ten games in 2007 after testing positive for phentermine, which he claimed came from his wife's diet pills.
• Hunter was the oldest active player in the NBA during the 2009–2010 season at age 39.
• He won NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001–02 and the Detroit Pistons in 2003–04.