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Longtime Philadelphia Tribune Sportswriter Donald Hunt Retires After 43 Years

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Longtime Philadelphia Tribune columnist Donald Hunt is retiring after 43 years in the business. Covering Philadelphia sports can be a whirlwind for a sports columnist, but for more than 40 years, Hunt has kept up with the dizzying pace.

"We cover sports on all levels," Hunt said. "One day I could be down interviewing Jalen Hurts from the Eagles, the next day I could be up at Temple interviewing Aaron McKie, the following day I could be over at the Sixers."

Longtime Philadelphia Tribune Sportswriter Donald Hunt Retires After 43 Years

After a 30 year career with the Philadelphia Tribune, the nation's oldest African American newspaper, Hunt's colleagues wished him a final farewell Wednesday. 

"It's something I take a lot of pride in, particularly when I go out in the community and cover a lot of the community stories," Hunt said. "And then, also, it lets me know that this is a paper that's been around for a long time."

Hunt has covered everything from Sixers and Eagles championships to college hoops highlights over the years.

Memorable moments abound, but nothing is etched more in history than the six-year campaign he launched to get a postage stamp, honoring Sixers great Wilt Chamberlain.

"It all started with a column I wrote," Hunt said. "I thought it would be good for the young people. Because a lot of young people, they know about Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant. All these guys are great players in their own right, but Wilt was a real pioneer. In 2014, Wilt got the stamp. But he didn't just one stamp Natasha, he got two stamps, and two of the biggest stamps."

Congratulatory retirement tweets from Philly sports notables cluttered Hunt's Twitter feed on his last day. The utmost respect is being shown to a humble journalist who spent his life telling the Philly sports story. 

Although he says he'll miss the action in the midst of all the sporting events, Hunt's happy to take a seat on the sidelines now, just as an observer and fan.

"I'm not going to Paris or nothing," Hunt said. "I'm a neighborhood guy, you know. So I'll be right here in the city, but I'd like to go to the Negro League baseball museum and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, some places like that."

Hunt also tells Eyewitness News that he is not completely done writing yet. He plans to keep writing in his spare time.

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