Hines attended ninth grade at Camden Catholic High School, where he scraped his way onto the freshman team and transferred to Timber Creek Regional High School to play for the Chargers as a sophomore, playing on its basketball team from 2001 to 2004.[2] Timber Creek first opened its doors after Hines' freshman year ended, but after his relocation to the new school, he became a three-year varsity starter under head coach Gary Saunders.[1] After averaging 15.3 points per game his sophomore season, Kyle burst onto the scene during his junior campaign. He was voted a First Team All-South Jersey player, after averaging 20.6 points, named MVP of the Philly USA All-Star Classic, and received a Top-20 All-Star status at Five Star Camp.
Hines repeated as a First Team All-South Jersey selection in his senior year of high school, and additionally garnered a Second Team All-State. He averaged 23.5 points per game, and eventually became his high school's all-time leading scorer, finishing his career with 1,562 total points scored[3] (his brother Tyler, coincidentally, is also a 1,000-point career scorer at Timber Creek).[4] Other accolades received during his senior season include:[1] NJ Hoops First-Team All-Camden County, NJ Hoops Awards Rebounder Team, Best Post Player Team, Second-Team Top Dunkers, Best Rebounder and Top 20 All-Star at the summer Five Star Camp, and also rated one of the Top 15 seniors in the Delaware Valley.
Hines started all 30 games and posted 13.6 points per game, a team-leading 8.6 rebounds per game, and shot a Southern Conference-leading 62.1 shooting from percentage the field (which also ranked seventh nationally). The first two games of Hines' collegiate career were double-doubles, a precedent never done before at UNCG. Blocking shots became his specialty, as evidenced by the school record 106 blocks that he amassed. This was also good for a 3.5 blocks per game average (ranking fourth nationally). In a game against Georgia Southern on February 8, 2005, he set a Fleming Gymnasium record when he grabbed 18 rebounds. Hines was selected the Southern Conference's Player of the Month for January, as well as the SoCon Freshman of the Year. At the season's conclusion, he was selected to the All-Conference Team (a remarkable feat for a freshman).[1]
By the end of his first season, Hines had established several school records. His 259 rebounds and 175 field goals set new UNCG freshman records. The rebound total shattered the previous high of 152 and just 25 shy of the all-time record, and his field goal total was good for third all-time. He scored 408 points, which fell five short of the freshman record set by Jay Joseph.[1]
Sophomore season (2005–2006)
The 2005–06 season began with a "new" head coach at the helm, Mike Dement (it was his second tenure with UNCG after having previously coached the Spartans from 1991 to 1995). Former head coach McCaffery left to run the Siena men's basketball program. Despite the coaching change, Hines continued to excel.
Starting 30 of UNCG's 31 games (did not play the season-opener against UW-Green Bay), Hines led the team in scoring (19.3 points per game / 578 total), rebounding (8.2 rebounds per game – also led conference / 247 total) and blocks (2.8 blocks per game / 84 total). His scoring average and point total were the most in the Spartans' Division I-era history, and most ever by a sophomore. Hines dropped in 239 field goals, also a school DI record. Showing his versatility, he ranked in the SoCon's Top 10 in steals (51; seventh) and minutes per game (34.0; fifth).[1][5]
Hines recorded a school record 12 double-doubles during the 2005–06 campaign. His most impressive single-game performance came on December 31 against the #1 team in the nation, Duke, when he scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds in the loss. Hines drew praise from legendary Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski for his performance, who praised the player for good games.[6]
On December 3, Hines set a school sophomore record when he pulled down 21 rebounds against the College of Charleston. For his excellent individual season, Hines was named to the USBWA All-District Team and All-Southern Conference First Team.[1][5]
Hines credits student manager April Albritton with giving him the confidence to take his game to the next level.
Junior season (2006–2007)
After finishing as the runner-up for the Southern Conference Player of the Year award in his first two seasons, Hines finally won the award during his junior year campaign. Additionally, he became the first player in UNCG history to win the award.[1]
In the 2006–07 season, Hines was one of only five players in all of men's college basketball to average 20+ points and 9+ rebounds per game. On November 11, 2006, he set a career-high of 38 points against Marshall, in an 82–80 overtime loss. His 605 total points scored set a new UNCG junior season record (second all-time). Another solid performance came against Duke, four days later. Despite constant double-teaming by 6'10" tall Josh McRoberts and 7'1" tall Brian Zoubek, Hines managed to score 17 points and snatch 8 rebounds, both team-highs.[1]
At the conclusion of the season, Hines had recorded at least one blocked shot in 83 out of his 89 career games played. His school record streak of 37 consecutive games with a block, started on February 19, 2005, was ended during an early season game against Penn State, on November 13, 2006.[1]
Senior season (2007–2008)
In his senior college season, Hines averaged 19.2 points per game, and a career-high 9.1 rebounds per game.
Professional career
NBA Summer League
After going undrafted in 2008, Hines was picked up by the Charlotte Bobcats to play at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and was later offered an NBA D league opportunity but he turned it down. In 2009, he was invited back to the Summer League, played on the Orlando Magic summer team. In 2010, he was invited again and played for the New Orleans Pelicans, but ultimately fell short of being offered an NBA contract.
In July 2011, Hines signed with Olympiacos Piraeus of the Greek Basket League.[9] With Olympiacos, he won the EuroLeague championship at both the 2012 EuroLeague Final Four and the 2013 EuroLeague Final Four, and the Greek League championship in 2012. He contributed substantially to his team in all competitions, with both scoring and defensive skills. He made notable appearances at the top level of the European game, considering his rather low height for a center-forward. On June 24, 2013, Hines opted out of his contract with Olympiacos.[10]
On June 28, 2013, Hines signed two-year deal with the Russian powerhouse CSKA Moscow.[11] In the 2014–15 season, CSKA Moscow managed to advance to the EuroLeague Final Four for the fourth straight season, after eliminating Panathinaikos Athens for the second straight season in their EuroLeague quarterfinal series, with a 3–1 series win.[12]
However, in their EuroLeague semifinals game, despite being dubbed by the media as an absolute favorite to advance, CSKA once again lost to Olympiacos Piraeus. The final score was 70–68, after a great Olympiacos comeback in the 4th quarter, which was led by Vassilis Spanoulis.[13] CSKA Moscow eventually won the EuroLeague third place game, after defeating Fenerbahçe, by a score of 86–80.[14] In his second EuroLeague season with CSKA Moscow, Hines averaged EuroLeague career-lows up until that point, of 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, over 30 games played. CSKA Moscow finished the season by winning the VTB United League, after eliminating Khimki Moscow region with a 3–0 series sweep in the league's finals series.[15]
On June 17, 2015, Hines signed a two-year contract extension with CSKA Moscow.[16] With CSKA Moscow, Hines won the EuroLeague championship at the 2016 EuroLeague Final Four. In the summer of 2017, Hines competed in The Basketball Tournament on ESPN, for the number one seeded FCM Untouchables. While competing for the $2 million grand prize, he averaged 10.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Hines, whose 11.0 rebounds per game ranked second among all competing players, was one of only two players to average a double-double throughout the tournament. The Untouchables advanced to the Super 16 Round, where they were defeated by a score of 85–71 by Team FOE, a Philadelphia based team that was coached by the NBA brothers duo Markieff and Marcus Morris. Hines finished the game with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.[17]
In May 2020, Hines signed a two-year contract with the Italian League club Olimpia Milano, after spending the previous 7 seasons with the Russian VTB United League club CSKA Moscow.[20] On July 6, 2023, he renewed his contract for another year.
Born in Sicklerville, New Jersey, to Deidre Ledgister and Reggie Hines, Kyle spent his childhood growing up in South Jersey, outside of Philadelphia. Hines' father, Reggie, was a part of several different NFL training camps.[1] He also has two younger siblings, one brother and one sister. His brother, Tyler, is also a professional basketball player.[21] Kyle and his wife, Gianna Smith, married in July 2015.
Awards and accomplishments
College career
Hines graduated as the most decorated basketball player, men's or women's, in UNC Greensboro's school history. He is statistically one of the greatest men's basketball players in Southern Conference history, and was a good enough college basketball player to be included on an exclusive short list of NCAA Division I annals. Below are the awards garnered and records established by Hines, during his college career as a Spartan.
Note: All records and awards were at the time of his college graduation, in May 2008. Since then, some of the records may have been broken.
Featured in the October issue of Basketball Times Magazine, as one of five "Under the Radar" players nationally (2007)
According to Midmajority.com, he ranked 10th in the nation (out of 1,837 qualifying players) in player efficiency (an NBA stat that is similar to that of a quarterback's passer rating in football, taking into account all of a player's positive stats, versus missed shots and turnovers) (2007)
First UNCG player to have his/her jersey number retired while still active (#42) (2008)
^Narducci, Marc. "Hines and his game have grown Spurned in eighth grade, he added 10 inches and lots of skill; today he's a star.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 17, 2004. Accessed September 9, 2011. "When Hines was in eighth grade at Mullen School in Gloucester Township, he was cut from the team.... Hines attended Camden Catholic as a ninth grader, and by his own admission, barely made the freshman team. By then he was 6-2 and his game was slowly growing. After starting the season as a deep reserve, he was a starter by season's end and was also playing some junior varsity.Hines decided to transfer to Timber Creek as a sophomore, not for basketball reasons, but because of not having to pay tuition at a public school."
^CourierPost online. "Tyler Hines had 26 points to go over 1,000 for his career as Timber Creek routed Apex Academy 94-50." Accessed February 22, 2008.
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