‘Get it done’: NBA stars send message to Sydney Kings ahead of NBL Grand Final

The Sydney Kings are the favourites to win the NBL championship and they have some NBA stars cheering them on.

The NBL Finals tip off tonight and red-hot favourites the Sydney Kings will have NBA stars cheering them on in their quest for a first title in 17 years.

After a slow start to the season, the Kings surged into the finals on the back of a 13-game winning streak and swept the Illawarra Hawks in the semi-finals.

Watch Game 1 of the NBL Finals between the Sydney Kings and Tasmania JackJumpers on May 6 Live & Free with ESPN on Kayo Freebies. Sign up for Kayo Freebies now, no credit card required >

With a line-up featuring MVP Jaylen Adams, the Kings will be tough to beat as they strive for their first NBL championship since 2005 — the last of their three-peat titles in their glory years.

In the best-of-five game series, they will take on the Tasmania JackJumpers, who have defied all expectations to make the NBL Grand Final in their very first season in the competition.

The Kings have the support of Golden State Warriors stars Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, who sent their well wishes to their Kings connections Down Under.

Curry and Thompson played with Kings co-owner Andrew Bogut as well as 2017 NBA champion Ian Clark, who joined the Kings mid-season and has been a valuable contributor off the bench.

“I just want to say good luck to the entire Sydney Kings team and organisation in the finals this year, congratulations on all the success,” Curry said in a video message on social media.

“One more step, get it done. Shout out to Andrew Bogut, Ian Clark, all love my guys, y’all get it done.”

A special message from @IanClark and @andrewbogut's former teammate @StephenCurry30 wishing the whole Sydney Kings team GOOD LUCK in the Grand Finals 🎉

Thanks, Steph and the team at @warriors 💜💛#WeTheKings#NBL22pic.twitter.com/FW4N2yXsOt

— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) May 5, 2022

Thompson said: “Sydney Kings, good luck in the NBL Finals. I know you guys are going to do it. Just trust each other, let it fly and have fun.

“I was teammates with Bogut so I know what it’s like to play with a tough owner and a guy who had high standards but I know you’ll make him proud and the fan base will be very proud as well.

“Just continue what you guys are doing and have fun because it’s a special privilege to be in the Finals. Good luck fellas.”

The Kings have also been the subject of a behind-the-scenes documentary called Building a Kingdom, with a camera crew following every game of their season.

The first four episodes of the series are available to stream now on Kayo.

Filming is still in progress and once the season is completed, five more episodes chronicling the Kings’ sensational second half of the season and their finals campaign will drop at once.

The Sydney Kings are favourites to beat the Tasmania JackJumpers in the NBL Grand Final. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

“We’re living in the age of the sports doco, everyone is doing it,” Build The Kingdom’s lead documentary maker Sam Tolhurst told news.com.au.

“We’ve been there every game, built the relationships with the players and earned the trust of the playing group, coaching staff and front office staff.

“I feel like how embedded we are is far beyond what you almost get otherwise. We’ve been there for it all.

“Being there for all of that then to ride the highs of the winning streak, 13 games in a row, we’ve had cameras there for everything so it’s been really cool to be on that journey. It’s been really special.”

The season has been successful for the Kings on the court, but Tolhurst said regardless of the wins and losses, the documentary would always have made for compelling viewing.

He said the finished product would even capture the attention of non-basketball fans.

“It was designed to be warts and all,” he said.

“It was designed to be very raw and fly on the wall-esque and basically the brief was to capture the season however it went and it just happens to be fortunate enough that we made the grand final.

The Sydney Kings are the subject of a fly on the wall documentary this season. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

“We’re hoping for a good result here but we certainly hope that anyone can view it as a basketball fan or a sports fan and take something from it.

“The group brings an interesting perspective into the challenges of a long season of basketball. “They’re pretty unique, they’re all good characters and everyone has something good to say that you want to listen to.

“I hope that it’s great for Kings fans but our hope for audience and viewership is beyond that.”

Game One of the NBL Finals between the Sydney Kings and Tasmania JackJumpers starts tonight at 7.30pm (AEST).

Watch every game of the NBL Finals via ESPN on Kayo and watch the Building The Kingdom documentary on Kayo.

Originally published as ‘Get it done’: NBA stars send message to Sydney Kings ahead of NBL Grand Final