NBL 2023: How Luc Longley’s transformed out of form Kouat Noi into Sydney Kings’ bench weapon
Kouat Noi is enjoying a successful maiden season with the Sydney Kings - and he credits regular catch ups with Aussie hoops great Luc Longley.
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Sydney Kings forward Kouat Noi was once overweight and out of form, but hard work and genuine care from Aussie hoops royalty Luc Longley has helped Noi become one of the NBL’s most consistent bench weapons.
Noi is in the best shape of his career after dropping a whopping 12 kilos since leaving the Cairns Taipans for the Kings this season.
He has also benefited from regular lunch dates with Longley, who is a special adviser and part-owner in Sydney.
OKAY, we see you Kouat👀 #WeTheKingspic.twitter.com/4kPiUUUDD9
— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) January 4, 2023
Noi says the chance to chew the fat on things hoops with the three-time NBA champion and Boomers great has been career defining.
“It just shows that Luc really cares about your development and you as a person,” said Noi, who has averaged 7.42 points, 3.26 assists and is shooting 51 per cent from the field. “I’ve never had someone mentor me like that.
“Every time Luc is in town we always go and grab something to eat and just sit down and have a conversation about basketball and life. He also talks about what I want in the future, so he is a good person to have around the team.
“He helps everyone, and he has definitely helped me.”
Noi has also taken on a bucketload of personal accountability for his career. It started with basics like cutting out late night snacks and it’s become a daily habit to treat his body like a temple.
“In the off-season I made an emphasis to get my body back to where it was or even stronger,” said Noi, who also enjoyed a successful off-season stint with the USC Rip City in the NBL1 competition, taking home NBL1 North MVP award.
“I’ve worked hard on my body, and we have great strength and conditioning staff here at the Kings.
“They have helped me with my diet and workouts and now I’m back to my playing weight and I feel more fit. I’ve cut out late night snacks and dairy and it’s paying off.”
Noi wasn’t feeling so confident and content when he joined the defending champion Kings following a substandard season at Cairns. He admits he took a risk leaving the Taipans for a star-studded Sydney side.
“I didn’t have my best season with the Taipans, but I still knew there was an opportunity for me to show everybody what my game is and how much potential I have,” he said.
“I was just excited to start a new chapter with the Sydney Kings.
“We’re on top of the ladder right now and the boys are playing well, so it is just great.
“I’m also very happy with the progress I’ve made so far.
“I said at the start of the season that I just wanted to flourish, and it is starting to happen and I feel more comfortable.
“I’m contributing and playing my role to help my team win.
“I’ve put in a lot of work, and there is more work to be done, but I’m on the right track.”
Noi will look to maintain his standout form when the Kings travel north to take on the Brisbane Bullets on Wednesday night.
He feels “empathy” for the struggling Bullets given he has experienced similar form battles in the past.
“Definitely, it sucks to be on the losing side,” he said.
“I’ve been there with my past club (Cairns), so it isn’t a good feeling at all.
“So, being on the opposite side and the winning side now is a better feeling but we’ve still got to go up to Brisbane and beat them.
“They are still a hungry side, and they aren’t just going to let the top team come in and do whatever they want. We can’t get comfortable or take our foot off the pedal because teams are still trying to prove their worth.”
Noi certainly won’t be letting complacency creep in.
He knows he is playing strongly, but he insists he isn’t the final product.
“I’m not even at my peak or full potential yet,” he said.
“It is good to see me flourishing because of all the hard work that I’ve put in, but there is definitely more to come.”
Brisbane Bullets vs Sydney Kings at Nissan Arena on Wednesday from 7.30 (AEDT) and Live on ESPN and Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
NBL’S POPULARITY RISING AS SYDNEY EYE ATTENDANCE RECORD
The high-flying Sydney Kings believe they’re primed to overtake the Perth Wildcats’ long-time average attendance record to become the NBL’s new crowd Kings.
The Wildcats – the most successful franchise in Australian sport with a record 35 straight years of making the playoffs between 1987 and 2021 – has long been the highest-drawing attendance team in the league.
The men from Western Australia again led the average attendance this season with 10,503 from eight games but Sydney is nipping at their heels.
The Kings are averaging 9,274 this season from 10 games on the back of a host of bumper crowds, headed by 12,467 fans against Tasmania in round 13.
The club will also open the upper level 3 at Qudos Bank Arena for the remainder of the season in a bid to maximise crowds.
Reliable guard Shaun Bruce says it’s only a matter of time before the defending champions eclipse Perth’s longstanding average crowd mark.
“If we keep winning, that is going to be above it (Perth’s mark) in no time,” Bruce declared ahead of Saturday’s blockbuster home clash against the Wildcats.
“Our front office has done a great job of capitalising on the success we had last season and what we are trying to do this year.
“It has been fun to play in the last few weeks in front of big crowds, but throughout the whole year because the crowds have been great.
“The crowds are only going to get better as we make a playoff push and the games get even more exciting.
“We love playing at Qudos. It’s awesome and to have so many fans in that big arena is even better.”
Bruce briefly put his rivalry with Perth aside to pay homage to the club’s remarkable dominance dating back decades.
The Wildcats have come back to the field in the past two seasons, sitting in sixth place this season and missing the playoffs for the first time in 35 years last season, but they continue to set the crowd attendance benchmark.
“I guess Perth have been successful forever and you can’t blame people for wanting to spend money on a good product,” he said.
“The Kings have done a good job of in the last three or four years since I’ve been here.
“We’ve had a really good product and that goes to what Chris (Pongrass) and Paul (Smith) are doing and people want to come out and spend their money on a Kings game.
“It’s special.”
Sydney is in a strong position to finish the regular season in first position, currently sitting two wins ahead of the second-placed New Zealand Breakers.
Bruce, though, insists the Kings can’t become complacent despite their lofty position on the ladder.
He says the extended finals format, which will feature six teams and a play-in game, makes the run home even more competitive.
It’s why Bruce is extra wary of a desperate sixth-placed Wildcats side, who need to win to lock in a finals position.
“I think they are like any team that is still fighting for that top six with only 10 teams, it doesn’t matter who makes it they are going to deserve it,” he said.
“Perth is a challenge. They’ve got Bryce who is one of the best imports to ever play here, so any time you’re coming up against a guy of his calibre it is going to be a tough night.”
As everyone in the NBL knows, stopping Perth star Bryce Cotton is the key to beating the Wildcats.
Kings guard Justin Simon was known as the ‘Bryce stopper’ during his season with the Illawarra Hawks in 2020/2021 as he went on to claim the league’s best defensive player honours.
According to Bruce, though, you need more than one player to restrict Cotton’s brilliance.
“You just have to make him work as hard as you can,” he said.
“You throw plenty of bodies at him and it’s about making his attempts as tough as possible.
“You also have to live with him beating you sometimes and we’ve seen what happens when you try and play him one-on-one or try and guard him straight up.
“It doesn’t go well for you.”
Sydney Kings vs Perth Wildcats at Qudos Bank Arena from 8pm (AEDT) and Live on ESPN and Kayo
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