NBL 2022: Dejan Vasiljevic reveals the history lessons behind Sydney Kings’ stunning winning streak
The Sydney Kings have won 10 straight NBL games as they head into a pivotal game this weekend in Adelaide - and the players are crediting a greater focus on the club’s history for their success.
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Sydney Kings guard Dejan Vasiljevic was eight the last time the Kings lifted the NBL championship trophy in 2005.
Vasiljevic, the son of a Serbian handball player, had migrated from Canada to Melbourne with his family only two years earlier.
His first sporting love was soccer, then the AFL’s Richmond Tigers. The Kings’ third straight title, featuring Jason Smith, Ben Knight, and current Adelaide coach CJ Bruton, wasn’t on his radar.
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“I had no idea what the NBL even was,” Vasiljevic said.
“I had no idea who the Sydney Kings were, and basketball wasn’t even an interest in my life.”
Thankfully, Vasiljevic now has a full understanding of the Kings’ history thanks to an 11-part documentary series on the club.
Sydney officials, headed by former forward turned assistant coach Daniel Kickert, wanted the current crop of Kings to understand the franchise’s past.
Kickert, with the help of staffer Liam Cavanagh-Downs, produced a series of videos on the club’s history, featuring the best players and big moments.
The documentary length videos have given Vasiljevic and his teammates a greater appreciation for the Kings’ legends who have helped to build the Kingdom we see today.
“You back through history and the Kings have had CJ Bruton, Hammer Heal, Matt Nielsen, and the documentary summed up all the club’s greatest players,” he said as the Kings chase 11 straight wins against the 36ers in Adelaide on Saturday night.
“We try and build four pillars to build a Kingdom at the club and one of them is honouring the past players. We want to make those guys proud and keep the tradition going.
“If we win one this year, I think they (the legends) would be more stoked than we would to be honest.
“The club also gone from a very high point winning titles to not even being in the NBL.
“Now we are trying to replicate those guys by winning another championship.
“I think what we’ve gone through in the last 20 years as the Sydney Kings has been unreal.”
Kickert didn’t play for the Kings until the back end of his career, but he feels like he has a lifelong connection with the club.
It’s why the Melbourne-born forward, who has also played for United and the Brisbane Bullets, wanted to help Sydney create special memories of the franchise’s past.
From experience, Kickert also knows history matters.
He recalls attending the AIS in Canberra in the early 2000s and feeling inspired seeing the former players’ names on the lockers.
“Luc Longley and Mark Bradtke were on mine, and I remember thinking, ‘wow’,” Kickert said.
“That is something we want to start instilling at the Kings in our locker rooms out at Auburn.
“You walk in and see the name and it gives you belief that making it is possible.
“If they made, there is also a chance for me as well.
“A lot of the new guys and the imports don’t know much about the Kings’ history, so it was great to go back through the history to the start with guys like Steve Carfino.
“Then a look at the championships, when the team folded, the comeback, all the excitement around Bogut signing and the Covid interruption during the 2020 grand final series against Perth.
“We’ve laid out the whole history of the club.”
The Kings also asked the legends to speak on the documentaries to give the current squad real life examples of the club’s success.
👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑
— The NBL (@NBL) April 5, 2022
Count 'em, yep, that's 10 straight wins for the @SydneyKings in #NBL22 👀
Can the Kings take the ultimate crown? 🆠pic.twitter.com/QqllcR6aNp
Kickert says Vasiljevic and co were blown away listening to the likes of Heal, Carfino and Bruton share their stories.
“To hear those legends talk about what it means to be a King is really important for the current playing group,” he said.
“It’s also great for the current players to see the legends around. They see Carfino or Heal in the stands at the game or they look up at the wall of legends and can recognise the faces.
“I also think the former players like seeing the players of today care about the club’s history and that all the guys that came before them matter.
“Those legends helped pave the way and we wouldn’t be here without everyone’s hard work in the past.”
SYDNEY KINGS VS ADELAIDE 36ERS AT ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE FROM 8PM AND LIVE ON ESPN AND KAYO
Meanwhile, the Kings will announce their second inductee into The Ring of Honour on Monday, April 18 in the Logue Down Basketball column.
Fans and members were encouraged to vote for the player they believe most deserves to be inducted into the Ring of Honour, not just for their talent but other factors like: the most entertaining, the most courageous, a great teammate and a significant contribution to the wider community.
Nominations:
Ben Knight
Ben Madgen
Brad Rosen
Bruce Bolden
Jason Smith
Leon Trimmingham
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