De'Andre Hunter facts for kids
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Hunter with the Atlanta Hawks in 2021
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| No. 12 – Atlanta Hawks | |
|---|---|
| Small forward / shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 2, 1997 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| High school | Friends' Central School (Wynnewood, Pennsylvania) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 221 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Virginia (2016–2019) |
| NBA Draft | 2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Pro career | 2019–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 2019–present | Atlanta Hawks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
De'Andre James Hunter (born December 2, 1997) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers. In 2019, he was named the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, showing how good he was at stopping opponents.
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High School Years
De'Andre grew up in Lawncrest, Philadelphia. He went to Friends' Central School in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. In his junior year, he was amazing on the court. He scored about 21.6 points and grabbed 11 rebounds per game. He also made 5 assists per game. Because of his great play, he was named Pennsylvania Class AA Player of the Year.
In his senior year (2016), De'Andre continued to shine. He averaged 23.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game. Experts saw him as a top player. He was ranked as the 72nd best recruit overall in his high school class. He was also the 14th best small forward. On September 12, 2015, De'Andre decided to play college basketball for Virginia. He chose them over other big schools like NC State and Notre Dame.
College Career
De'Andre started his college journey at Virginia. In his first year playing, he scored double figures in 16 games. This means he scored 10 points or more many times. In one exciting game against Louisville, De'Andre made a three-pointer right at the last second. This shot won the game for Virginia!
During the 2018 ACC tournament, De'Andre broke his wrist. This injury meant he couldn't play in the 2018 NCAA tournament. Without him, Virginia, who was the top team, lost in the first round. They lost to a much lower-ranked team, UMBC. Even with the injury, De'Andre was recognized for his skills. He was named to the All-ACC All-Freshman team. He also won the ACC Sixth Man of the Year award. In his freshman season, he averaged 9.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Many thought he might go to the NBA early. But De'Andre decided to stay at Virginia for another year.
In his second year, De'Andre played even better. He averaged 15.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He helped Virginia become a top team again. They earned another number one spot in the 2019 NCAA tournament. This time, Virginia went all the way to the championship game. They won the 2019 Championship game 85–77. De'Andre was a huge part of this win. He scored 27 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. He even made a game-tying three-pointer with only 12.9 seconds left! After this amazing season, De'Andre decided to enter the 2019 NBA draft. He was chosen as the 4th player overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. He was then traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
Professional Career: Atlanta Hawks (2019–present)
On June 20, 2019, De'Andre Hunter was picked fourth overall in the 2019 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. But he didn't play for them for long. He was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans and then quickly to the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks were excited to have him. On July 7, 2019, they officially signed him.
De'Andre made his NBA debut on October 24, 2019. He started the game and helped the Hawks win 117–100 against the Detroit Pistons. In that first game, he scored 14 points and had two rebounds. He quickly became a regular starter for the Hawks.
In the 2020–21 season, De'Andre continued to improve. On January 24, 2021, he scored a career-high 33 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. However, he had to get surgery on his right knee in February 2021. This meant he missed some games. Before his injury, he was averaging 17.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. His strong performance earned him a spot on the NBA's Rising Stars roster. Unfortunately, he needed another surgery on his knee in June 2021. This kept him out for the rest of that season.
De'Andre came back strong. On April 26, 2022, he scored a new career high of 35 points. He also grabbed 11 rebounds in a game against the Miami Heat. Even with his great effort, the Hawks lost that game and were out of the playoffs. On October 17, 2022, De'Andre signed a new four-year contract with the Hawks. This showed how much the team believed in him. On January 13, 2023, he scored 26 points and made a career-high six three-pointers in a win against the Indiana Pacers.
See also
In Spanish: De'Andre Hunter para niños
