“Hey man, you’re not Larry Bird. Pass the ball.” These were the words Denver Nuggets‘ rising star, Hunter Tyson heard as a freshman at Clemson. His head coach recalls saying this to the teenager. Well, at the time he didn’t know how hard it was to get through Tyson. The hooper could be given a hard time, and he’d not take it personally ever. He was ribbed by his teammates in practice. But it wasn’t until years later that Hunter Tyson earned this comparison through his grit and hard work. The former Clemson forward is a rare case. He is one of the very few NBA players who spent five years at the same college.
But, it was his experience at Clemson that earned him All-ACC honors and made him a second-round draft pick in 2023—despite his name not being on a lot of draft boards earlier. However, there was another achievement Tyson won’t forget in his lifetime. It’s his stellar 31-point, 15-rebound performance against North Carolina State. Why? Well, it was the day when his coach Brad Brownell actually compared him to Larry Bird. “Fellas, maybe he is Larry Bird tonight,” Brownell recalls saying. Well, he might have qualities of Larry Bird, but Hunter Tyson is paving his own path in the NBA. And perhaps it would be a good time to learn more about where his journey began.
Where was Tyson Hunter born? What is the Denver Nuggets star’s nationality?
Well, Tyson Hunter’s journey started much before he attended Clemson. The Nuggets forward was born and brought up in Monroe, North Carolina, a small town with a population of just 37,797 in 2023, according to the United States Census Bureau. Just like most of the folks from the Tar Heel State, Hunter Tyson quickly fell in love with basketball. However, it wasn’t just hoops that he was interested in. Tyson also enjoyed playing baseball, and it wasn’t until he was in 8th grade he fully committed to hooping.
He was always meant to come around to basketball. Why? It runs in his veins, that’s why! Tyson is the son of Dr. Jonathan Tyson and Torri Tyson. His father, Jonathan, was an athlete in his own right. Tyson’s dad represented Wingate University at the collegiate level. So, Hunter has always been around the sport. But, by no means did he have it easy. “My dad always was really big on hard work,” Hunter said in an interview with the Clemson Tigers. “If basketball is what we wanted to do, that’s awesome, but we needed to give our all to it. From a young age, I started working really hard at the game of basketball.”
So, by the time Hunter got ready for middle school, his father was the principal of Piedmont Middle/High School in his hometown. Hunter went to the gym with his father before school and then attended school and also practiced afterward. But, it was all in order to achieve his ultimate dream of playing in the NBA. Meanwhile, his mother, Torri, was hugely supportive of her son’s career choice and played a vital role in life growing up. Both of Hunter’s parents are American citizens just like their two sons, Hunter and Cade and daughter Laikyn. Hence, Hunter is of American nationality.
Growing up Hunter and his brother had a great upbringing and belonged to a religious family. Speaking of which, is Hunter Tyson religious?
What religion does Hunter Tyson follow?
Hunter Tyson’s upbringing has been in a highly religious family. While a lot of NBA stars like to keep this part of their life private, Hunter has been at some level vocal about his beliefs. He’s proud to be Christian and likes to thank the Lord for giving him this life and opportunity to chase his dreams. Many people who see the Nuggets star take the court think hooping is his identity. However, that’s not the case. He finds his true self elsewhere.
“I find my identity in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At the end of the day, I know no matter how many points I score, or how many wins, it’s not what’s most important,” Hunter shared in a Clemson Tigers feature. The 24-year-old believes that his true identity comes from Jesus Christ and that’s something above basketball and the rest of the things. Having said that, you should not mistake the 24-year-old for being a non-competitive guy. While Hunter Tyson believes that God is above everything, on the court, he’s extremely competitive.
In fact, “Anybody who knows me knows that probably to a fault honestly [laughs]. Everything I do, I’m trying to win,” he had said. This shows that on the hardwood winning is the only thing on Hunter’s mind. The Denver forward is taking solid strides in his hooping career. He recently made his first start and has already established himself as a good role player for the Nuggets. Well, this is just the start of the journey for Hunter Tyson as he aims to cement himself as a regular at the franchise and achieve great success in the future.
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