At least he got to play in a few NBA games this season and achieved a stat line. Hopefully he'll get another, bigger shot next season.
Vince Hunter waived by Grizzlies
- Thread starter FeralFelidae
- Start date
Poor guy. He is a star in the G-league but can't stick in the NBA. He needs to be on a team that can utilize his athleticism off the bench (like Houston or Golden State) or he has to start shooting well from range (like Paul George).
How would 2 extra years of school helped him? He is already making good money. He is what he is as a player.
He is not making good money. He would have greatly benefited from the extra 2 years and probably would have been drafted and had a guaranteed salary.
No. GMs use your age against you. It lowers your ceiling. Player development is also better at the pro level because that's all players have to do, no classes, etc.
Hunter has the physical skills to be an NBA Player, he needs the right opportunity and to add to his game. He overpowered guys in college, he can't do that in NBA. He needs a shot doctor.
He probably would have gotten drafted if he stayed 2 more years.
Unless you are guaranteed to go high in the draft I think it is wise to stay in school.
He has played in overseas and dleague which is better training that he could get at Utep. Also look at how Utep has been since he has left?? How could you blame him for leaving?? If anything maybe he should pulled a Moultrie and transfer to other school.
Vince Hunter leaving early really didn't have a lot to do with UTEP's demise.
I think he left too early because I think if he stayed two more years he would have gotten drafted and received a guaranteed contract.
I would have loved to see Hunter stay all 4 years but I understand that is selfish. He felt it was best for him to go into the draft early, unfortunately how many young players are drafted based on upside and not production? So even if he had 4 years of solid production that wouldn’t guarantee a shot at the NBA. There are just so few spots and so many players vying for those spots. Culpepper can’t get into the league, Stone has had a long road to the NBA. Character didn’t last a season in the NBA. I hope he gets another shot, but worse come to worse there’s nothing wrong with having a long career in Europe.
Well, since he went undrafted and wound up spending the better part of three seasons in developmental leagues...
...and is now currently unemployed...
Last edited:
Unless they're playing center (and sometimes even then), you have to be able to shoot the 3 to play for Houston or GS. More and more teams are adopting that philosophy...if Vince wants to play in the NBA he has to develop an outside shot.
60% of NBA players go bankrupt within five years of retirement. Sometimes getting a free degree pays off in the long run, especially if you're not a highly sponsored star with a big name
I'll bet he has made some decent money. He has played overseas, which pays well, and he was on an NBA roster for part of this season, which I'm sure pays well. He's now in the G-League, which doesn't pay well, but I'm sure he'll play for an overseas squad again this year and then make another push for the NBA next season.
And hey, he did play in the NBA this season. That's living the dream; I assume that was his dream, to play in the NBA someday. Mission accomplished. Now he can shoot for the moon.
Meanwhile, he just needs to take on those overseas opportunities as they present themselves and I'm sure he'll continue to make decent money.
And some pro players go back to school after finishing their pro basketball career and finish their degree.
But more go bankrupt. Some literally end up working at McDonald's (David Harrison), Starbucks (Vin Baker), or in multiple rehabs (Dennis Rodman). Again, 60% of players declare bankruptcy.
Antoine Walker played in the D-League as well as for the Mets de Guaynabo in Puerto Rico. He played 16 years in the NBA and made over $100 million in his career. He shot for the moon and hit it...
...he quickly went bankrupt after retiring and had to sell his 2006 NBA championship ring.
Kenny Anderson never played D or G league, but did play overseas for BC Zalgiris. He also had that 15 year NBA career where he made decent money (about $60 million). His 7 kids with 5 women didn't help and he was later fired from his high school basketball coaching job after getting arrested for DUI. He last played in the NBA in 2005 and declared bankruptcy later that year.
Remember Jason Caffey? He won a few championships with the Bulls. He had 10 kids with 8 women and actually wasn't allowed to file for bankruptcy. More decent earnings --- about $34 million over 9 years.
I wish these stories were unique, but it's too common. "Decent money" is relative; especially when your career is possibly over by age 30.
Terrible take with no facts.
VH has made over $200,000 bones playing ball since he left tep, made 75K over the past few months on an NBA roster, I'd say that's good money for a kid from Detroit.
How many autographs have you gotten lately turd?
Yes, some players blow through all the money they make. That's a different question as to whether Vince Hunter has made some good money playing overseas and briefly making an NBA roster. Vince Hunter is an individual and your generalizations might or might not apply to him. You don't know Vince Hunter's particular spending habits.
If my info is correct, then Randy Culpepper reached a point where he made around $400k per year playing in Europe. I am sure that Vince could be making similar money to that if he also permanently played in Europe as well, but the NBA appears to be his dream, so he keeps coming back to the states and makes less money in the G league and on 2 way contracts because he is following his dream.
It's his life and if he wants to plug away making less in the NBA "farm system" over here, because he believes that it gives him the best chance to become an NBA player then I don't blame him for pursuing his ultimate dream. We can't really disagree with the results either, as Vince has slowly progressed every year since he left UTEP and that reached a high point just this season when he played in a regular season NBA game for the first time in his career. He can now officially say that he played in the NBA. He is still only 23 years old, so if money becomes an issue, then I am sure that he can still go have a good career in Europe and make a lot of money over the next decade if that is what he chooses to do. But if he wants to stay here and keep trying for the NBA, then that is his choice and I don't fault him for following his dream.
It's his life and if he wants to plug away making less in the NBA "farm system" over here, because he believes that it gives him the best chance to become an NBA player then I don't blame him for pursuing his ultimate dream. We can't really disagree with the results either, as Vince has slowly progressed every year since he left UTEP and that reached a high point just this season when he played in a regular season NBA game for the first time in his career. He can now officially say that he played in the NBA. He is still only 23 years old, so if money becomes an issue, then I am sure that he can still go have a good career in Europe and make a lot of money over the next decade if that is what he chooses to do. But if he wants to stay here and keep trying for the NBA, then that is his choice and I don't fault him for following his dream.
Each situation is different, but I tend to agree with Hunter's decision in this case. At most, he may have been convinced to stay one more year, but I still think it unlikely he would have been drafted in the first round any way. If I am not mistaken, only NBA first rounders get that guaranteed contract. By leaving school early, and focusing completely on basketball, he obviously felt that was his best chance to achieve his dream. There is no doubt VH has an outstanding basketball work ethic, and his game has expanded greatly since he left UTEP. You have to give him tons of credit for perservering. At 23, which is ancient in terms of NBA newcomers, he may be close to his last opportunity to make a team outright for a full season, but he still has plenty of time to make tons of money overseas. Lee Moore is already doing the same. Money management is a whole different topic, but hopefully he will realize the window as a pro athlete is a short one.
At UTEP I agree. He could have easily played at Michigan St. or Michigan had they not been so concerned about his eligibility.
$200,000 over 3 years isn't good money playing basketball. Many people who don't play basketball make that in 3 years.
If he would have stayed an extra year or even two extra years I think he would have gotten drafted and received a guaranteed contract.
A lot of autographs, thanks for asking!
