BIO: Keanu Pinder was born and raised in Derby, Western Australia, among the Nyigina people of the West Kimberley region. He spent his early childhood in Derby before moving to Perth at age 10 for schooling. His athletic roots run deep, with his father, “Tiny” Pinder, a two-time NBL champion, making a name for himself as a dominant force for the Perth Wildcats, where he played 220 games and won a championship. However, it was Pinder’s mother, Tracey, who first introduced him to basketball, having played for East Perth as a teenager.

At around sixteen, Pinder traveled to Adelaide to compete in an Indigenous basketball tournament. His athleticism caught the attention of Australian basketball legend Danny Morseu, who encouraged him to pursue a professional career in the sport. Before heading overseas, he attended Chisholm Catholic College in Perth while excelling in both basketball and Australian rules football.

In 2013, Pinder moved to the United States for a prep season at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kansas, where he focused on developing his skills before beginning his college basketball journey.

FAMILY: Keanu Pinder is the son of Kendal Pinder who played 219 games in the NBL. His mother, Tracey Smith, is an Indigenous woman whose ancestry weaves through generations of First Nations people.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Keanu Pinder made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 25 years of age. He scored five points in his first game.

After two seasons in Poland, Keanu Pinder returned to Australia in 2020, signing a one-year deal with the Adelaide 36ers. The team sought to bolster its frontcourt with athleticism and versatility, and CEO Grant Kelley expressed enthusiasm about Pinder’s addition.

“Keanu Pinder was a highly sought-after player in free agency, and we are thrilled he chose to join the 36ers. Together with Daniel Johnson and Isaac Humphries, he will bring great athleticism and competitiveness to our team and strengthen our offensive capability, which we promised our fans would be a priority for the upcoming season,” said Kelley.

Adelaide entered the season undergoing major changes, with longtime head coach Joey Wright departing amid off-court turmoil and former Perth assistant Conner Henry taking over the reins. Key players like Kevin White, Nathan Sobey, and Harry Froling were also let go, prompting a roster rebuild. The 36ers retained Daniel Johnson and Jack McVeigh while adding highly touted Next Star prospect Josh Giddey, along with Isaac Humphries and imports Donald Sloan and Tony Crocker to reinforce the squad.

The season opener saw Adelaide struggle in a heavy 65-89 loss to Melbourne. In response, Henry made adjustments, swapping Pinder and Humphries in the rotation. The changes paid off in the next game, as Adelaide bounced back with a hard-fought 116-108 victory over South East Melbourne. However, inconsistency plagued the 36ers throughout the season. Sloan was demoted to the bench and later requested a release, leading to the signing of Jeremy Kendle as his replacement.

Adelaide started the season strong at 4-2, but their momentum was derailed during the NBL Cup—a mid-season tournament held in Melbourne—where they slid from third to seventh place. The situation worsened when Humphries suffered a season-ending injury, forcing the team to sign Jack Purchase as a replacement. Despite also adding former NBA guard Brandon Paul, Adelaide couldn’t recover.

Pinder played a key role in the 36ers’ frontcourt, starting 20 games in his NBL debut season and averaging 4.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. His best performance came in a Round 16 win over the Brisbane Bullets, where he tallied 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 assists. While Pinder provided energy and defensive presence, standout seasons from veterans Daniel Johnson (19.4 points, 7.1 rebounds) and rising star Josh Giddey (10.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.6 assists)—who was named NBL Rookie of the Year—weren’t enough to push Adelaide into the playoffs. The 36ers finished the season with a 13-23 record, placing seventh overall.

CAIRNS TAIPANS
2021/22
On 19 July 2021, Keanu Pinder signed a two-year deal with the Cairns Taipans, with a mutual option for the second year. The move to Cairns marked a fresh start for Pinder as he looked to elevate his game in a new environment.

Cairns underwent a rehaul prior to the 2021/22 season, the first move being Adam Forde replacing head coach Mike Kelly. Forde, who had spent the previous season coaching the Sydney Kings, was tasked with finding some new firepower for the Snakes after losing the team’s leading scorer Cam Oliver to the NBA the previous season.

Imports Tahjere McCall and Stephen Zimmerman were brought in, alongside Keanu Pinder (via Adelaide) and rookie Bul Kuol (Detroit Mercy) to bolster a Taipans core which already included Majok Deng, Kouat Noi, Nathan Jawai, Mirko Djeric, Jarrod Kenny and Scott Machado who was named team captain.

The Taipans struggled to generate wins all season thanks to a glut of player injuries which saw Cairns unable to field a full roster in any game that season. Despite the team’s struggles, Forde was instrumental in developing the Taipans younger talent, many whom delivered career best seasons.

Majok Deng (14.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1 assists) had his best season to date, playing in every game for the Taipans and finishing second on the team in points per game and Keanu Pinder (10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists), went on to be named the NBL’s Most Improved Player after doubling his points and rebounds from the previous season.

Another breakout season came from Ben Ayre (6.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists), who joined the team originally as a unpaid training player after being recommended to the team by former 36ers coach Joey Wright. Ayre was elevated into the full-time roster as an injury replacement in April, before going on to break NBL records in his eight-game tenure. On 18 April 2022, in just his sixth appearance for the Taipans, Ayre scored a team-high 20 points to go with 10 assists, four rebounds, three steals and four three-pointers in a loss to Melbourne (80-92). The 26-year-old became just the third player in 2021–22 to record 20 points and 10 assists in a game (alongside Bryce Cotton and Jaylen Adams) and just the second Taipan in club history to register 20 points and 10 assists. Lastly, first year player Bul Kuol (10.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists), who had been told he was not guaranteed to be part of the rotation or receive any minutes, also saw injuries thrust him into the lineup and quickly became one of the Taipans’ most important players. He would be rewarded at seasons end by being named Rookie of the Year.

Scott Machado (10.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists) sustained a heel injury in round two of NBL22, missing more than six weeks with the injury. In April 2022, he re-injured his heel and missed the rest of the season. Machado and Tahjere McCall (16.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2 steals), who led the team in scoring, and assists, were selected as co-MVP’s of the team as Cairns finished in second last place (9-19).

2022/23
The 2022/23 season saw Pinder average 16.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists and play a key role in helping the Taipans to a third place finish (18-10). Pinder won his second NBL Most Improved Player award in a row in 2023, becoming the only player in league history to win the award twice.

PERTH WILDCATS
2023/24
On 19 July 2021, Keanu Pinder returned to his hometown Perth, signing a two-year deal with the Wildcats.

At the time of his signing, Wildcats head coach John Rillie expressed excitement about bringing Pinder back to Perth, stating, “Keanu has shown great improvement in his all-around game over the last few seasons, his desire to work and compete for a championship is what caught my attention. He also rebounds at a high level so that addresses one of our weaknesses of last season.”

After missing the NBL playoffs in 2023, Perth opted to re-tool, focusing on younger talent. The Wildcats signed 18-year-old French star Alexandre Sarr via the Next Star Program, alongside import players Jordan Usher and Kristian Doolittle. Perth also added David Okwera (via Melbourne), a local junior talent, to a multi-year deal, and rookie Ben Henshall. These moves culminated in the Wildcats buying out the contracts of veterans Todd Blanchfield (to Illawarra) and Mitchell Norton (to Brisbane).

Perth opened their season with a victory over Tasmania, highlighted by Usher’s 35-point debut at RAC Arena, setting a new record for most points in a Wildcats debut.

Despite the strong start, the Wildcats struggled, losing five of their next six games. A loss to Brisbane led to fans and media calling for a coaching change. MVP Bryce Cotton’s early-season slump compounded the issue, as the new offensive scheme often left him sidelined in crucial moments. Even Cotton’s wife publicly expressed her frustration, generating national headlines.

Following the Brisbane loss, Pinder (13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 steals) confidently predicted the team would win their next five games, sparking a Wildcats resurgence.

After a poor showing in the first seven games, Cotton (22.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals) snapped out of his slump, scoring 29 points in a win over Adelaide on November 4. This marked the beginning of a strong run for Cotton, including a season-high 41 points in a December victory over Sydney. Over an eight-game stretch from mid-December to January, Cotton averaged 30.4 points, firmly placing him in the MVP conversation.

The Wildcats’ success was also driven by strategic adjustments from Rillie, who moved Usher (12.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists) to a sixth-man role and promoted Hyrum Harris (5.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists) to the starting lineup. Harris brought energy and defensive intensity to the squad, diving for loose balls and grabbing crucial offensive rebounds.

Alexandre Sarr (9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks) also made waves, showing maturity beyond his years. In just his third NBL game, Sarr nailed two late triples against Adelaide after Pinder fouled out. By the end of the season, Sarr had risen up NBA draft boards, with projections placing him as high as the second pick.

Perth’s strong form saw them finish second in the standings (17-11) and return to the playoffs. Cotton claimed his fourth MVP award, moving past Brisbane Bullets legend Leroy Loggins (three) and into outright second place behind Andrew Gaze (seven). However, Perth’s postseason run ended with a semifinal loss to eventual champions Tasmania.

Pinder seamlessly slotted into the Wildcats’ starting five, delivering a dominant presence in the paint with his size and rebounding. He became a fan favourite at RAC Arena, adding several highlight-reel dunks, including a 360-degree slam during the regular season and a poster dunk on Tasmania’s Marcus Lee in the semifinals.

The 28-year-old Pinder averaged 13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 steals in NBL24, setting career-best marks in three-point percentage, three-pointers made, field-goals made, assists, and steals. Pinder reached double figures in 23 of his 31 games and recorded three double-doubles. Despite battling through an injury-plagued pre-season, Pinder’s contributions were recognized as he finished second in the Gordon Ellis Medal count, behind Bryce Cotton.

Keanu Pinder played five seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Adelaide 36ers, Cairns Taipans and Perth Wildcats. He averaged 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 138 NBL games.

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