12 Boston Celtics that never played a single minute
By Tyler Watts
10. Lindsey Hunter
Hunter won championships with two different teams in his 17-year NBA career. The 6’2 guard was a top-ten pick in 1993 by the Detroit Pistons. He played for five different teams, including helping Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal complete their three-peat in 2002.
Hunter helped the Pistons take out the Lakers in the NBA Finals two years later to win his second ring. He was known for his hard-nosed defense and ability to play whatever role was necessary.
Hunter nearly missed out on that second championship. The Pistons wanted to acquire Rasheed Wallace at the 2004 trade deadline, but could not make the math work. They added a third team, but landing Wallace meant parting ways with backup point guard Lindsey Hunter. Detroit sent Hunter to Beantown, but the Celtics waived him one week later.
Hunter returned to Detroit and was guarding Kobe Bryant in the finals four months later. Boston netted Chucky Atkins and one first-round pick in the deal, but Hunter could have helped their cause as the franchise made back-to-back playoff exits.
Lindsey Hunter played six more years in the NBA before retiring in 2010. The 6’2 guard got into coaching and was even head coach at Mississippi Valley State for three years from 2019 to 2022. He never played a second for the Boston Celtics but was briefly part of their organization.