Adelaide 36ers coach Joey Wright says Saturday night’s royal rumble with new Sydney King Jerome Randle won’t be personal
IT’S the most-anticipated match of the NBL season so far. But Adelaide 36ers coach Joey Wright says Saturday night’s clash with Jerome Randle won’t be personal.
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ADELAIDE coach Joey Wright says Saturday night’s mouth-watering clash with former teammate and league MVP Jerome Randle won’t be personal.
Randle is coming to town this time as the opposition after signing with the Sydney Kings and can expect a hostile reception from the crowd that once called him their own.
But Wright said the most important thing was for Adelaide to get the win after dropping its past three games.
The 36ers have had the edge over Sydney in recent seasons winning their past seven games, but they have never won eight straight over the Kings.
Randle played 27 games for 19 wins at Adelaide Arena in his two years with the Sixers where he averaged 22.5 points. He left last season after winning the league MVP and making the All-NBL First Team for two seasons in a row.
“I don’t think it will be personal, no game is bigger than the other,” Wright said.
“Every opponent you should hate for the 40 minutes that you play him, then shake his hand afterwards.
“We’ll try to preach that to them but I don’t think it will be personal.
“I don’t hope they (crowd) do (get stuck into him), our fans will be 50/50.
“Half of them will support and half won’t, but it will be more about what we do than anything that happens on the other side.”
Adelaide’s new US import Shannon Shorter said he was expecting Randle to come out firing.
“Obviously he did a lot for the 36ers and had his run but I feel like I’m here now and I’m excited about our team,” he said after training on Tuesday.
“He’s going to come in with a lot of confidence and aggression but I look forward to the match-up and hopefully we can come out with the win.”
Adelaide trounced Sydney by 30 points last month but Wright is expecting a very different challenge this weekend.
“(Kevin) Lisch will be back out there on the court and obviously Jerome is a big threat on the court, it will be a different ball club,” Wright said.
By Wednesday more than 6000 tickets had been sold to the game which will feature the Adelaide Lightning in the earlier clash against Townsville.
reece.homfray@news.com.au
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