Keanu Pinder facts for kids
Pinder with the Cairns Taipans in 2022
|
||||||||||||||
| No. 25 – Perth Wildcats | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power forward / center | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 28 May 1995 Derby, Western Australia, Australia |
|||||||||||||
| High school | Sunrise Christian Academy (Wichita, Kansas) |
|||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 103 kg (227 lb) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College |
|
|||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2018 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2013–present | |||||||||||||
| League | NBL | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Lakeside Lightning | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | East Perth Eagles | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Legia Warszawa | |||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Adelaide 36ers | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Cairns Taipans | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | Northside Wizards | |||||||||||||
| 2023 | Fuenlabrada | |||||||||||||
| 2023–present | Perth Wildcats | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Keanu Tecumseh Pinder, born on May 28, 1995, is an Australian professional basketball player. He plays for the Perth Wildcats in Australia's top league, the NBL. Before turning professional, he played college basketball for Hutchinson Community College and the Arizona Wildcats in the United States.
Contents
Keanu Pinder's Early Life and Basketball Journey
Keanu Pinder was born in Derby, Western Australia. When he was 10, his family moved to Perth for school. As a kid, he enjoyed playing both basketball and Australian rules football.
In 2012–13, Keanu trained with the Perth Wildcats team. In 2013, he helped the Lakeside Lightning win the State Basketball League (SBL) championship. He also played briefly for the East Perth Eagles in 2015.
In 2013, Pinder moved to the United States. He spent a year at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kansas, preparing for college basketball.
College Basketball Career
From 2014 to 2016, Keanu Pinder played college basketball for Hutchinson Community College.
- During his first year (2014–15), he averaged 6.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
- In his second year (2015–16), he improved to 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game.
In March 2016, Pinder moved to the University of Arizona to play for the Wildcats.
- As a junior in 2016–17, he played in 35 games. He averaged 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in about 12 minutes per game.
- In his final year (2017–18), he averaged 2.3 points and 2.1 rebounds in about 10 minutes per game.
Professional Basketball Journey
Starting in Europe
In August 2018, Keanu Pinder began his professional career in Poland. He signed with Legia Warszawa in the Polish Basketball League.
- In his first season (2018–19), he averaged 7.2 points and 4.0 rebounds.
- In his second season (2019–20), he averaged 7.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.
Playing in the NBL
On July 17, 2020, Pinder returned to Australia. He signed with the Adelaide 36ers for the 2020–21 NBL season. In his first NBL season, he averaged 4.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 35 games.
On July 19, 2021, Pinder signed a two-year contract with the Cairns Taipans.
- During the 2021–22 season, he averaged 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds in 28 games. He also won the NBL Most Improved Player Award.
- In the 2022 off-season, he played for the Northside Wizards in the NBL1 North league.
- In the 2022–23 season, he averaged 16.9 points and 9.3 rebounds in 19 games. His season was cut short due to injuries, including an ankle injury and an eye fracture. Even with the injuries, he won the NBL Most Improved Player award for the second year in a row. He is the first player in NBL history to win this award twice!
Short Stint in Spain
On March 3, 2023, Pinder signed with Fuenlabrada in Spain's Liga ACB. He wore a special protective mask for his face injury while playing there.
Returning to the Perth Wildcats
On April 1, 2023, Pinder signed a two-year deal with the Perth Wildcats. This was a return to the team he trained with as a young player.
- He joined the Phoenix Suns for the 2023 NBA Summer League, but a back injury kept him from playing.
- In the 2023–24 NBL season, he averaged 13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
- On October 25, 2024, Pinder scored a career-high 34 points in a big win against the Sydney Kings.
National Team Career
Keanu Pinder has proudly represented Australia in international basketball.
- In 2013, he played for Australia for the first time at the 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in the Czech Republic.
- In 2015, he played for the Australian University National Team at the World University Games in South Korea.
- In 2022, Pinder won a gold medal with the Boomers (Australia's national team) at the FIBA Asia Cup in Indonesia.
- He was unable to play for the Boomers in the 2023 FIBA World Cup because of a groin injury during training.
Personal Life and Family
Keanu Pinder's mother, Tracey Smith, is an Indigenous Australian. She was born in Kalbarri, Western Australia, and lived most of her life in the Kimberley region. His father, Kendal Pinder, is from the Bahamas and also played professional basketball for the Perth Wildcats in the NBL.
Images for kids
-
Pinder playing for the Cairns Taipans in 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Keanu Pinder para niños
