| One last stand...Pistons’ Hunter looking to go out as champion |
| By Leland Stein |
Published
05/1/2008
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Sports
| Unrated |
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Lindsey Hunter
PISTONS GUARD Lindsey Hunter has been added to the active roster with the 2008 NBA Playoffs now in session. Hunter played in only 24 games during the regular season. – Andre Smith photo
AUBURN HILLS – The Detroit Pistons are in the midst of the NBA Playoff wars, and, in their quest for glory, a 15-year veteran appears to be a linchpin.
Lindsey Hunter, a guard for the Pistons, has been activated as Pistons Coach Flip Saunders feels the veteran guard will be a valuable component in the team’s quest for another NBA title.
Of course, some have wondered why the Pistons would re-activate Hunter.
“Lindsey knows how to play the game and his defense will be a big plus for our team,” Saunders said.
Added Hunter: “I know my role and I just try to do some of the things that I feel the team needs at the time.”
The Pistons’ elder statesman is still going strong and is in the forefront of the Pistons’ effort towards NBA glory.
As the 2008 NBA Playoffs move forward, there is much speculation about what Hunter plans to do following this campaign.
Will he come back for yet another year? Or will he join the ranks as an assistant coach or move into the front office?
“I do not want to talk about that right now,” Hunter said. “I’ll wait till after the season and I’ll make a decision. It is hard to give up (the game) when you feel you can still contribute. But there is a time to say bye and it is a fine line trying to find that position.”
Some have already anointed Hunter as a coach on the floor. In fact, he’s played the role of player/coach all year.
With the influx of the Pistons’ youthful guards, Hunter has had to serve as a tutor all season. And everyone acknowledges that his veteran locker room presence has been felt.
“I could not have even dreamed the type of career I’ve had,” the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Hunter said. “Coming from where I did, the HBCU (Historically Black College & University) thing, some thought I’d be a long shot at best. But things have worked out very well for me.”
Hunter, born Dec. 3, 1970, in Utica, Miss., is a graduate of Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss.
The Pistons drafted Hunter with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 1993 NBA Draft, and he has played with Detroit for most of his career (from 1993 to 2000, and then again from September 2003 to the present).
Hunter was traded to the Boston Celtics in February 2004 along with Chucky Atkins for Mike James, but he never played a game for the Celtics as he was immediately released and re-signed by Detroit 10 days later.
Hunter also has played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, and Los Angeles Lakers. He has won championship rings with both the Lakers (2002) and the Pistons (2004).
“Winning those titles were special,” Hunter said. “I was fortunate enough to get picked up by the Lakers and that was a great experience for me and my family. But winning a title with the Pistons was better than good.
Especially since I was traded and then came back to the team that gave me my start . . . There are no words to explain how I felt.”
Even though Hunter has two championship rings, he is hungry to get that third one on his finger. The fire is still burning, he said.
He added that he is excited about how the Pistons’ younger players have matured during the season, remarking that he expects big things from them during the playoff run.
“This year’s team is unique in that we have a lot of youth that can really play the game,” Hunter explained. “We’ll see how coach uses them, but they can play and they (have the ability to) at some point in the playoffs provide a spark that could help us win some games.”
Hunter acknowledged that he does not have the young legs of the rookies anymore, but he has the knowledge and experience that comes with being a veteran.
He also has evolved as a player. Hunter came into the league as a better than average three-point shooter, but as his game has progressed, he has turned himself into a noteworthy defensive specialist. He has earned the reputation of being “scrappy” and “tenacious.”
Hunter said his longevity is a direct result of not having any real serious injuries, taking care of his body and staying in condition.
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