This Saturday night, against the Geraldton Buccaneers, Russell Haxby plays his 250th SBL game.

A career which started back in 1998 for the Stirling Senators and that has seen him travel around the globe with his bag of basketball skills as South as Mandurah and as far as the British Basketball League.

In the lead-up to the game this week, I (ST) was able to sit down with Russell Haxby (RH) and reminisce on a wonderful 16 years of basketball.

ST:First and foremost congratulations on this excellent achievement, which no doubt has had its difficulties (form of injuries) and challenges. In 2009 and then again in 2012 did it seem as though game 250 would never arrive?

RH: Thank you, it’s nice to achieve a milestone like 250, but it isn’t something that I aimed for. Let’s just say that I’m content at still being able to play at this level.

ST: This is your 16th season of SBL basketball, do you remember your first ever SBL game?

RH: I don’t remember too much about the game as I played minimal minutes. However, I do remember that it was at Warwick and I was playing for Stirling back in ’98. I got a call up in the second quarter, caught the ball on the wing, went to drive and the opposition pushed me out. I got the call, went to the free throw line and knocked down one of the two shots. After 30 seconds I was back on the bench. But, the feeling I got from playing those moments was intense and from that point on I wanted to be the one point a minute man!

ST: What about your junior years of basketball and what got you involved in the game, where did it all start?

RH: I started playing when I was 7 years old, in Melbourne. My father enrolled me in a basketball program at Albert Park with the Junior Tigers. It just blossomed from there.

ST: With your 250th game coming up this weekend, if you had to choose one game that stands out, which one would it be?

RH: There are many games I can reflect back on that stand out. One of the main ones was when I was playing for Willetton and I caught fire in the last quarter, nailing 5 ‘threes’ in a row. We were down by 18 points to Kalgoorlie and ended up winning the game.

ST: You've played for a number of coaches throughout the journey, which coach (given that this season is not complete, we'll leave Coach Kuhn out of this question!) has had the greatest impact on you as a player?

RH: Naming only one wouldn’t be fair. I’ve played for so many clubs and coaches that I need to name a few: Junior Development Coach was definitely Ray Watson from the Melbourne Tigers. SBL coach/mentor would have to be Ricky Grace. Most disciplined and best team coach was Greg Gurr. Warren Kuhn belongs on this list as well. His knowledge of physical and mental skills influenced my game style as a teenager. All of the above coaches had a significant impact on my career and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all.

ST: You don't last 16 seasons in any league without doing something/s right. What advice do you have for up and coming basketballers?

RH: I think the big one is that you need to believe in yourself and keep re-inventing the way that you play.

Some other words of wisdom:

-       Basketball is similar to chess in that it’s a psychological game.

-       Continue to do what your opposition does not want you to do and never be predictable.

-       Always prepare yourself physically, and be confident with what you can do on the court.

-       Discipline, Practise & Have Fun

ST: Leading into this season you'd played as far South as Mandurah, East for the Eagles and North for Stirling with stints at Willetton and Perry Lakes in between. What inspired the decision to head 'up the hill' to Kalamunda?

RH: Initially I was thinking of doing some coaching with Warren and helping to develop the up and coming youngsters in the squad. I was asked to play and, well, I guess I still had a bit of the passion left.

ST: Regardless of the results, you've enjoyed this season?

RH: I am enjoying this season. The club has been very welcoming, and the players and management group have been lots of fun to work with. The results can be disheartening at times, but the boys are dedicated and work their guts out. It’s a very supportive unit and I have been happy to be a part of it.

ST: The wins columnn isn't very high this season, but the Suns have played some great basketball, could you give some insight as to where you think the team is at, as the end of the season approaches?

RH: Individually, the players have a great opportunity and they have shown so much potential this season. I think that team wise, the playing group needs more time to get used to one another’s style and also master the game plan that coach has being instilling in us. Hopefully we can achieve a large part of this in the remaining games of the season. The foundations are there to build on.

ST: Coach Kuhn has a reputation for being an excellent individual skills and development coach, what has it been like playing for him this season?

RH: It’s an interesting question as I had Coach Kuhn as an under 18’s coach as well. He hasn’t changed too much in the past 16 years; he is still very passionate about the game and about perfecting it. Overall, it has been good to learn and experiment with new ideas and strategies.

ST: Listed as one of your career highlights is your 2004 season in the British Basketball League with the Birmingham Bullets, tell me about that experience?

RH: It was a great opportunity for me as I got to play professional basketball and was able to develop some youngsters by running school basketball camps while I was there.

ST: Having seen you in action throughout the season, one could argue that there's at least another season or two in you, the obvious question, have you given thought to next season and beyond? What does the future hold for Russell Haxby?

RH: I will be retiring as a player from the league at the end of this season. There are still a few things that I would like to do in terms of basketball though. I feel that one of those is to put back into the system through promoting the game as well as developing and coaching youngsters.

At the moment there are no immediate plans and maybe a break is due first.

And to finish, 13 quick, fun questions to finish, for you Haxby the number 13, answer these in one word:

ST) Russell Haxby the basketballer:Three

ST) Russell Haxby the person: Fun

ST) Russell Haxby to coach:Affirmative

ST) Coach Warren Kuhn: Innovative

ST) Coach Don Jamieson: Storytime

ST) Kalamunda Eastern Suns youngsters:Potential

ST) Toughest SBL player to guard:Stephen Black

ST) Best ever SBL player: Vince Kelley

ST) Favourite Player to play with: Dave Tranquille

ST) Favorite SBL moment:Road-Trips

ST) Favorite SBL stadium to play in: Willetton

ST) Least favorite SBL stadium to play in: Belmont

ST) Will Russell Haxby play SBL in 2014:No

ST: Russell Haxby, once again, congratulations on what has been a fantastic 16 year career and best of luck to you and the Eastern Suns for Saturday night and the remainder of the season.

Article by Steve Trajeski
Photo by Therea Marshall