A devastating knee injury that could have completely taken basketball away from RJ Hunter instead gave him a renewed appreciation for everything in his life on and off the court. Now, almost two years removed from having his career abruptly halted down in Australia, Hunter is healthy, playing again and most importantly, operating with a clear and present mindset.
“It’s going great,” said Hunter, a 6-5, 185-pound shooting guard who officially signed with the Hornets on Sept. 29. “The guys have welcomed me in ever since pre-training camp workouts began. Super-solid down-to-earth vibe in the locker room. Guys are just coming to work. That’s all you can real ask for from an NBA team.”
The former 28th overall pick’s path to Charlotte has been anything but straightforward or ordinary. Flashback to over eight years ago and the former Georgia State Panther Hunter is about to make his pro debut for the Boston Celtics, alongside another incoming first-round pick in Terry Rozier. Hunter played sparingly as a rookie, posting averages of 2.7 points in 36 NBA appearances, while also making a handful of trips to the G League’s Maine Red Claws.
A massive haul of players brought in during the 2016 NBA Draft put a crunch on the Celtics’ roster, leading the organization to surprisingly waive Hunter on the final day of training camp that fall. Forced to explore a different path, Hunter bounced around the NBA and G League for a few years before latching back on with the Celtics on a two-way deal in January of 2019. After that, basketball took him to two teams in Turkey – Türk Telekom and Galatasaray – sandwiched around a 10-game stint with the G League’s College Park Skyhawks in early 2020.
Most recently, he had signed a deal to play for the Sydney Kings, an NBL powerhouse in Australia. Only a few minutes into a road game against the Illawarra Hawks on Jan. 13, 2022, Hunter suffered a season-ending ruptured left patellar tendon, which is the ligament that connects the bottom of the kneecap to the top of the tibia. A somewhat uncommon injury in basketball (Andre Roberson, Jeremy Lin and Victor Oladipo have all been stricken by it), the recovery process for a patellar tendon rupture is usually long and grueling.
“I split my knee in half,” Hunter recalled. “It was my first basketball injury. That was difficult for me, but just so needed. Just the space away from the game, the things I needed to appreciate, the things I was taking for granted. I needed the whole perspective. I don’t take any of these days for granted. I had to dig deep and find out what I play this game for, my why and then just go from there. I used to come into these early practices like, ‘Ahhh, let’s get this over with.’ Now, I realize this can be taken from you in any moment.”
Hunter soon returned to the United States and watched from afar as the Kings won their first NBL Championship since 2005 without him. A life that had been so devoted to basketball for as long as he could remember, the unexpected hiatus was a blessing in disguise and opened Hunter’s eyes to a world away from the game.
“Not even just me, but a lot of athletes, we pour a lot into this – physically, emotionally, spiritually, however you look at it,” he explained. “We don’t have a lot of time left over for other things. Giving myself other things and room to have other interests – I started my own clothing brand called Cosmic. Learning a lot, going to different places, traveling, learning about different cultures, just living life for a year without having to be somewhere, be on schedule, putting pressure on myself. I would hate for an athlete to have to go through an injury, but I think the time of reflection and space away from the craft is necessary.”
Given the nature of his injury and how long it’s been since he last played, it might understandably take Hunter some time to get back into the swing of things. Holding marks of 3.0 points over 45 career NBA appearances and 18.0 points in 136 G League outings, the soon-to-be 30-year-old averaged 12.0 points on 43.7% shooting (169-of-387) and 37.4% from 3-point range (99-of-265) across 48 showings in the Turkish Basketball Super League between 2019-21.
Joining the Hornets has also reunited Hunter with Rozier. Thrust into a similar situation in Boston together, these two players’ careers have veered in different directions. When asked about his relationship with Rozier, Hunter instantly radiated with pride and happiness.
“I love Terry as a friend,” he said with a gleaming smile. “I love being around him. I love who he is as a person, what he’s fought through to get here. I told him the other day, ‘Bro, your growth and development is mind-blowing as a person, as a player, as a leader.’ I love seeing Terry succeed. He’s a genuine dude, genuine person, one of my good friends. Being around him gives me a good vibe.”
Added Rozier, “RJ’s my guy. I’ve been supporting him through all these years. I got with him this summer and it was right around when we heard the news that he was going to be with the Charlotte Hornets. I was excited. It’s good to see a friend keep working and have that bounce-back. No matter what he went through, he can still play and do what he loves.”
For those wondering, Hunter says he’s often still reminded about the famous last-second 3-pointer he hit in the 2015 NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64, which propelled the No. 14 seed Panthers to a stunning 57-56 win over No. 3 seed Baylor. Adding to the moment was RJ’s father and Georgia State Head Coach Ron Hunter’s reaction to the iconic shot. Forced to coach from a stool after tearing his Achilles celebrating the team’s Sun Belt Conference Tournament title, Ron was so elated watching the ball go through the basket that he rolled right off his seat and onto the floor.
“We knew it was a big moment, but we didn’t think it’d stick around,” said Hunter. “It comes back every year during the Tournament. I remember how depressed my dad was when he tore his Achilles. I told him how that was a wild setup for that moment. It’s kind of crazy when I go up to pretty much anybody in the league, start talking and they’re like, ‘Your dad, you hit the shot, so on and so forth.’ For that to still be a thing, it’s just crazy. My dad’s a long-time college coach, so all that One Shining Moment stuff, I was obsessed with it growing up.”
Hunter has been dealt a few tough hands in his basketball career, whether it be the Celtics quickly moving on from him, having to bounce around from place to place or the patellar tendon injury. But there’s no bitterness, no resentment, no second-guessing anything at all. Instead, the adversity and challenges have fostered valuable life lessons that RJ Hunter will be utilizing wherever the game takes him next.
“I was looking at the [Boston] situation like I had been done wrong and had a victim mentality rather than it’s just a business,” he said. “Wrong place, wrong time, so where can I move from here? I think that hurt me for a couple years. It was hard for me to get over that, but once I did, it was pretty much downhill. This journey has been crazy, but I think it’s been like that, so I can appreciate every step without knowing how this is going to go in any way.”