DJ Newbill
February 2, 2021
James Hunter
- Nationality: AUS/NZL
- Date of Birth: 19/06/92
- Place of Birth: Nowra (NSW)
- Position: F/C
- Height (CM): 208
- Weight (KG): 113
- Junior Assoc: NSW - Sydney
- College: Gillette CC (2011-2012) / Washington State (2012-2014) / South Dakota (2014-2015)
- NBL DEBUT: 8/10/17
- AGE AT DEBUT: 25
- LAST NBL GAME: 22/10/17
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 25
- NBL History: New Zealand 2018
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: James Paton Hunter was born in Nowra, New South Wales but spent much of his childhood living with his grandmother in Taumarunui, New Zealand.
He attended Cranbrook School in the eastern suburbs of Sydney where he was selected to represent Australia as part of the Australian Schoolboys’ basketball team which traveled to the United States to compete in tournaments throughout North Carolina over a two-week period.
He was also selected for the NSW Schoolboys State team and competed in the School Sport Australia Basketball Championship.
Hunter also played rugby during his time at Cranbrook and holds a New Zealand passport that he obtained as a teenager.
NBL EXPERIENCE
James Hunter made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 25 years of age. He scored five points in his first game.
New Zealand entered 2017/18 after an injury-hit 14-14 campaign had ended without a playoff appearance. Paul Henare returned for his second season as head coach without Kevin Dillard, Akil Mitchell, Paul Carter and David Stockton, while Ben Woodside retired and Corey Webster (to Perth) left after the Breakers declined his third-year option. The club signed imports Edgar Sosa and DJ Newbill and initially kept its third import position open.
James Hunter joined New Zealand’s full-time roster on July 11, with the Breakers viewing him as additional frontcourt depth behind Alex Pledger and Robert Loe. Hunter (2.5 points across 2 games) ultimately saw only limited court time in that role. His lack of appearances was not caused by an NBL injury, with Pledger and Loe ahead of him in the rotation before a midseason roster decision ended his season with the club.
Hunter’s NBL debut and best game came against Sydney at Spark Arena on October 19. Hunter (5 points) shot 2-of-3 from the field and 1-of-2 at the free-throw line in 7:37 as New Zealand won 90-73. Pledger (19 points and 6 rebounds) and Sosa (19 points and 7 assists) led the Breakers, while Perry Ellis (16 points) was Sydney’s leading scorer. Hunter’s only other appearance came three days later against Melbourne, leaving him with five points and one rebound from his two games.
The Breakers went on to recover from their opening-round defeat by winning nine consecutive games and reaching 9-1, the best start in franchise history. Hunter remained on the roster through the first half of the season but did not break into the regular frontcourt rotation.
On January 8, New Zealand used its vacant third import position to sign Rakeem Christmas for the remainder of the season and released Hunter to create the roster spot. Henare made clear that Hunter had not been waived because of his performances or approach, saying, “Releasing Jimmy was extremely hard, he is a victim of circumstance.” Christmas (7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds across 12 games) was added to provide a stronger interior presence at both ends of the floor.
Sosa (15.8 points and 3.8 assists across 28 games) finished as New Zealand’s leading scorer and earned All-NBL Second Team honours, while DJ Newbill (13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 steals across 30 games), Kirk Penney (10.1 points across 22 games), Thomas Abercrombie (9.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks across 30 games), Shea Ili (9.3 points and 3.1 assists across 30 games), Loe (7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds across 30 games), Pledger (6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds across 28 games) and Mika Vukona (6.2 points and 6.1 rebounds across 30 games) provided the other major contributions. Ili won the NBL Most Improved Player award, and Newbill, Abercrombie, Ili, Loe and Vukona appeared in all 30 games as New Zealand finished fourth with a 15-13 regular-season record.
Hunter was no longer on the roster when New Zealand opened its semifinal series against Melbourne at Hisense Arena. Newbill (19 points and 3 steals) and Ili (16 points and 5 assists) led the Breakers, but Ware (33 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) carried Melbourne to an 88-77 victory.
The series returned to Spark Arena for game two, where Newbill (21 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists), Penney (17 points) and Loe (16 points and 2 steals) helped New Zealand force overtime. Boone (33 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) scored the winning put-back in the final second as Melbourne won 88-86, completing a 2-0 sweep in Penney’s final NBL game.
James Hunter played one season in the NBL. He averaged 2.5 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0 assists in 2 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 25 | New Zealand | 15-13 (4) | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 67% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 2 | 3 | 67% | 56% | 0% | 5 | Totals | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 66.7% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 3 | 66.7% | 0% | 0% | 5 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 25 | New Zealand | 15-13 (4) | 2 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 67% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 1.0 | 1.5 | 67% | 56% | 0% | 5 | Total | 2 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 66.7% | 0.3 | 0.0% | 66.7% | 0% | 0% | 5 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Sydney (2009–2011, 2020–2021), Ballarat (2016), Knox (2019), Maitland (2022–2025), Sutherland (2026)
Hunter joined Sydney for the 2009 Waratah League season, beginning a three-year run with the Comets from 2009 to 2011. During that first Sydney stint, he won the 2010 Waratah League season MVP award before leaving for college in the United States.
Hunter joined Ballarat for the 2016 SEABL season, averaging 11.5 points and 6.3 rebounds across 15 games. His season included SEABL Player of the Week honours for Round 19.
He joined Knox for the 2019 NBL1 season, averaging 12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.4 blocks across 13 games.
A return to Sydney followed in the 2020 Waratah League season, with Hunter continuing his second stint with the Comets into 2021. Across nine Waratah League games in that period, he averaged 22.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals.
Hunter joined Maitland for the 2022 NBL1 East season, averaging 16.1 points and 7.7 rebounds and earning team MVP honours. Maitland reached the NBL1 East Grand Final, losing 76–73 to Canberra.
He remained with Maitland for the 2023 NBL1 East season, helping the Mustangs return to the grand final after finishing seventh with a 14–8 record. In the semi-final win over Canberra, he made 5-of-9 from three-point range and finished with 19 points and three rebounds, then top-scored for Maitland with 20 points and six rebounds in the 83–80 grand final loss to Sutherland.
Hunter continued with Maitland for the 2024 NBL1 East season, helping the Mustangs win the championship after back-to-back grand final losses in 2022 and 2023. Maitland defeated Canberra 86–67 in the grand final to claim the title.
He played a fourth season with Maitland in 2025, extending his run with the Mustangs from 2022 to 2025.
Hunter joined Sutherland for the 2026 NBL1 East season, continuing in the same conference after his Maitland stint.
FIBA EXPERIENCE
Hunter was a member of the New Zealand national team that finished in fourth place at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup in Lebanon.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- New Zealand - Manawatu (2015), Southland (2017–2018) | Spain - Zamora (2015–2016)
Hunter joined the Manawatu Jets for the 2015 New Zealand NBL season, playing his first season in New Zealand after signing on 22 May 2015 and averaging 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 0.1 assists across 8 games.
In that 2015 stint with Manawatu, Hunter added 0.5 steals per game while working primarily as an interior finisher and rebounder across his eight appearances.
After the 2015 New Zealand NBL season, Hunter moved to Spain for the 2015–16 campaign with CB Zamora in the Liga EBA, marking his first European stop.
Hunter returned to New Zealand after signing with the Southland Sharks on 9 November 2016 for the 2017 New Zealand NBL season, and he averaged 7.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 0.4 assists across 18 games while sharing the roster with players including Dom Raukawa, Leon Aston, Reuben Te Rangi, Nik Kay, and Mitch Norton.
Hunter returned to play for the Southland Sharks in 2018 and averaged 10.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.4 assists across 20 games, and he was part of Southland’s 2018 New Zealand NBL championship season alongside teammates including Orlando Coleman, Conor Morgan, and Alex Pledger.
COLLEGE
Hunter played college basketball at Gillette College during the 2011-12 season before transferring to Washington State, where he competed from 2012 to 2014, and he later finished his college career at South Dakota in 2014-15.
Hunter’s first U.S. stop was Gillette College in Wyoming, where he redshirted as a freshman in 2010-11 and then played the 2011-12 season under head coach Shawn Neary.
In that 2011-12 season at Gillette, NJCAA team leader totals list Hunter with 30 games played and 389 points (13.0 per game), and Washington State’s announcement of his signing also cited averages of 13.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game; those school bios further note he recorded five blocks in a game twice and logged nine offensive rebounds in a single game against Western Wyoming in January 2012.
Hunter transferred to Washington State and appeared across two seasons for the Cougars under head coach Ken Bone, with Sports Reference and South Dakota’s transfer announcement both crediting him with 18 total games at Washington State, 46 total minutes, 17 total points, and seven total rebounds while shooting 6-for-13 from the field across that two-year stint.
In the 2012-13 season, Washington State finished 13-19 overall and 4-14 in Pac-12 play, and Hunter played nine games, scoring his first career points in his debut against Eastern Washington (Nov. 10, 2012) and posting a Washington State career-high four points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 24, 2012).
In the 2013-14 season, Washington State went 10-21 overall and 3-15 in Pac-12 play, and Hunter again appeared in nine games; Sports Reference credits him with 17 total minutes for the season as his role remained limited before he left the program following that year.
Hunter joined South Dakota for the 2014-15 season as a graduate transfer, and he started all 32 games for first-year head coach Craig Smith as the Coyotes finished 17-16 overall and 9-7 in Summit League play, reaching the Summit League tournament quarterfinals before losing to South Dakota State; across the season, Sports Reference credits Hunter with averages of 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game while shooting 49.4% from the field, and the full-season totals shown in the same stat line include 184 points, 111 rebounds, nine assists, and 18 blocks.
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