{{Short description|Australian basketball player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2011}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Russell Hinder | image = Russell Hinder.jpg | caption = Hinder with the Hunter Pirates during the 2004–05 season | position = Power forward / Centre | height = {{convert|208|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} | weight_lb = 243 | league = | team = | number = | nationality = Australian | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1979|7|10}} | birth_place = Sydney | high_school = St Patrick's Marist College<br>(Sydney, New South Wales) | college = *San Francisco (1998–2000) *Augusta (2000–2001) | career_start = 2001 | career_end = 2014 | years1 = 2001–2004 | team1 = West Sydney Razorbacks | years2 = 2004–2006 | team2 = Hunter Pirates | years3 = 2005 | team3 = Otago Nuggets | years4 = 2006–2008 | team4 = Sydney Kings | years5 = 2008–2014 | team5 = Townsville Crocodiles | highlights = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's basketball}} {{MedalCountry|{{bk|Australia}}}} {{MedalGold| 2006 Melbourne | Team competition}}
}} '''Russell Hinder''' (born 10 July 1979) is an Australian former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the NBL. In 1997, he attended the Australian Institute of Sport.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/sports/basketball/athletes/past_athletes | title=Past Athletes | work=ausport.gov.au | accessdate=27 May 2014 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212073754/http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/sports/basketball/athletes/past_athletes | archivedate=12 February 2014 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
Hinder attended the University of San Francisco before transferring to Augusta State University in 2000.<ref name="age1">{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/02/1080544690943.html|title=Hinder swaps football boots for hoops|last=Cowley|first=Michael|date=3 April 2004|work=The Age|accessdate=15 March 2010}}</ref>
He then came back to sign up with the West Sydney Razorbacks in which his last season with the club he not only lead the team to a NBL Grand Final, his season performance got him third in the Most Improved player award. He then went to play for the Hunter Pirates where he spent one year before they left the league.<ref name="laskers1">{{cite web|url=http://www.basketball.net.au/fs_newsitem.asp?id=84856&orgID=567&Oname=Lakers&O1c=8&O10c=8|title=Our Croc: Russell Hinder|work=Basketball.net.au|accessdate=15 March 2010}}{{dead link|date=June 2014}}</ref>
He then joined the Sydney Kings where he earned himself a spot in the Australian Boomers team where the Boomers won the Gold Medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and also a spot at the FIBA World Championships that same year. He also led the Sydney Kings to two Grand Finals but was unsuccessful losing to the Melbourne Tigers on both occasions. Just like the Pirates, the Kings had to fold at the end of the 2007/08 NBL season.
Without a club, Russell was about to retire before he signed with the Townsville Crocodiles as just days before he signed the Crocodiles lost their star centre Ben Pepper who had "family issues". Once Hinder landed in Townsville, he announced that he wanted to help the Crocs win an NBL championship as the team had not won a championship and Hinder has been in three NBL finals but has never won a series.<ref name="townsvillebulletin1">{{cite news|url=http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2009/06/03/56871_sport.html |title=Townsville Crocs sign Hinder |last=Stewart |first=Antony |date=3 June 2009 |work=TownsvilleBulletin.com.au |accessdate=15 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091013020013/http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2009/06/03/56871_sport.html |archivedate=13 October 2009 }}</ref>
Hinder won the 2008–09 Townsville Crocodiles' Players' Player Award. He was sidelined for the entire 2011–12 NBL season with a broken leg.
On 4 November 2013, Hinder announced he would be retiring following the conclusion of the 2013–14 season.<ref>[https://archive.today/20131104104855/http://www.nbl.com.au/article/id/1qiheces13zwk1c6cokdmd0z7w Russell Hinder Announces Shock Retirement]</ref> On 22 March 2014, Hinder played his 350th and final NBL game in an 88–79 victory over the Sydney Kings. In 31 minutes of action, he recorded 13 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nbl.com.au/article/id/1up004as0j9e515tdhdyvc7jzd |title=R23 Report: Crocs storm home in Sydney |access-date=22 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324130700/http://www.nbl.com.au/article/id/1up004as0j9e515tdhdyvc7jzd |archive-date=24 March 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://basketball.australiabasket.com/player/Russell_Hinder/30302 Eurobasket.com profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hinder, Russell}} Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:Augusta Jaguars men's basketball players Category:Australian men's basketball players Category:Australian expatriate basketball people in the United States Category:Australian Institute of Sport basketball players Category:Basketball players at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Category:Otago Nuggets players Category:Power forwards Category:San Francisco Dons men's basketball players Category:Sydney Kings players Category:Townsville Crocodiles players Category:West Sydney Razorbacks players Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in basketball Category:2006 FIBA World Championship players Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen Category:Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Category:Basketball players from Sydney Category:Sportsmen from New South Wales