UNT basketball’s Kai Huntsberry comes from star-studded roots, and followed his dream

That success afforded Howard Huntsberry opportunities others only dream of.

“He always tells the story of meeting Muhammad Ali,” Kai Huntsberry said. “He told Muhammad that he’d been boxing. Muhammad said, ‘What, boxing oranges?’ My dad dies laughing.”

Kai Huntsberry found his calling playing basketball, a pursuit that has led him on a unique journey that will continue with UNT’s senior day game Saturday against Western Kentucky.

The 6-foot-3 senior excelled at Placer High in Auburn, California, before beginning his career at San Diego City College, the first of three stops in his college career. He spent a year at Mary, a Division II school in Bismarck, North Dakota, before transferring to UNT and achieving his dream of playing at the Division I level.

Huntsberry starts for UNT, ranks second on the team with an average of 12.1 points per game and has helped the Mean Green run out to a 24-6 record.

UNT has the No. 2 seed in next week’s Conference USA tournament locked up and beat Middle Tennessee on Thursday, despite Huntsberry leaving the game with a sprained ankle. The injury that could prevent him from playing Saturday.

“Kai has a high skill level and a physicality that is a great combination,” UNT coach Grant McCasland said. “He has a very positive approach. When you see him, he’s usually smiling. He has an energy that is contagious.

“His dad is a gracious man and a positive person. Kai takes those traits and exemplify them in basketball.”

Huntsberry reached the goal while following his father’s advice.

“I told Kai to follow his passions,” Howard Huntsberry said. “That is what has brought him happiness and made him successful to this point. He’s worked hard. If you fall, get back up and do it again. He’s done that.”

Son of an artist

There is little doubt a host of UNT fans have heard or seen Howard Huntsberry’s work, even though they might not realize it.

Huntsberry started out as drummer for groups that backed up artists including Etta James and Carla Thomas.

His career took off when he teamed up Isaac Suthers and Deborah Hunter to form Klique. “Stop Doggin’ Me Around” was one of their nine hits that made the Billboard R&B chart.

Huntsberry played R&B singer Jackie Wilson in the 1987 film La Bamba and was featured on the soundtrack for Ghostbusters II. His rendition of “Higher and Higher” plays as the Statue of Liberty comes to life and walks across New York Harbor.

He toured with Rick James and Yvette Marie Stevens, better known as Chaka Khan.

“It was an exciting time for me,” Howard Huntsberry said. “There is no better feeling than being onstage in front of thousands of people.

“To know that people still listen to my music after 30 years, you couldn’t ask for more.”

Howard Huntsberry had finished touring when Kai was young, but music remained a big part of life for the family.

There were two gold records and one platinum record hanging in the house. Several of Kai Huntsberry’s nine siblings played instruments. Someone was always singing around the family’s home, where Howard would recount meeting Michael Jackson, as well as Ali.

“‘Roses‘ is my favorite song of his,” Kai Huntsberry said. “I listen to his music. It’s great.”

A long road to success

Howard Huntsberry knew his son might follow a different path than the one he did in music early in Kai’s life.

“Kai was into sports,” Howard Huntsberry said. “We put a basketball in his hands when he was about 2 years old and had one of those arcade-type hoops in his room. He took to that.”

Success didn’t come easy for Kai Huntsberry. He was 5-foot-8 heading into his junior year at Placer. He grew seven inches in the next two years and earned California Division 4 First Team All-State honors.

Huntsberry landed at San Diego City College when his dreams of playing at the DI level remained out of reach. He earned first-team All-Pacific Coast Athletic Conference honors as a sophomore in the 2019-20 season but wasn’t offered a DI scholarship.

Huntsberry took a year off from basketball after his mother, Phoebe, suffered a stroke and the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He landed at Mary in the fall of 2021.

It was only then, after Huntsberry averaged 19.6 points per game and was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Newcomer of the Year, that his break came.

Huntsberry decided to transfer and received offers from several DI teams, including Bradley and Sacramento State.

Chasing his dream like his father advised paid off when Huntsberry landed at UNT.

“It’s rewarding to go through all that and get to play at the Division I level,” Huntsberry said. “Everyone is on different paths in life. Instead of worrying about everyone else like I used to do, I focused on myself. It worked out. I’m beyond grateful to everyone who helped me get here.”

Huntsberry has capitalized on the opportunity. He hit a game-winning jumper to push UNT past Louisiana Tech in January.

Howard Huntsberry has caught a few of his son’s games in person and watches the rest on TV. He drove to Denton for the Mean Green’s win Thursday and will be on hand for senior day this weekend.

“There are no words to explain how happy and excited I am about Kai’s accomplishments,” he said. “He’s worked hard to play at a Division I school. I’m super proud of him.”