Othello Hunter's first three-point attempt in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague came on the very first shot by any player in his second game way back in 2013. It also went in, but his team, Montepaschi Siena, eventually lost 89-79 to FC Bayern Munich at the Audi Dome in what was the German club's first-ever EuroLeague game.
Hunter tried another triple that night, 2 more that season and 11 others over his next seven EuroLeague seasons. He made none of those, however, and as such was 1 for 15 in his career and much better known for his dunking.
But Bayern must have remembered Hunter's first good three-pointer, because when he joined the German club in the summer of 2021, he got both expert help from player development director Emilio Kovacic and the green light to shoot from deep. Last season, he made a respectable 6 of 16 for a 2.03-meter center. This season, at age 36, Hunter is more than just respectable for a center. He has made 21 of 43 three-pointers and ranks ninth in the league with a success rate of 48.8%.
Still, few would have expected what he did on Friday to help Bayern storm back from 16 points down in the third quarter to beat host Anadolu Efes Istanbul 81-89. Hunter was the catalyst of the comeback, drilling 18 points while downing 4 of 6 triples and also pulling 9 rebounds among Bayern's 36-23 advantage on the boards. Both were the difference in the game.
