Crosscourt: Latest NBL news as 2025 postseason heats up, Xavier Cooks ban, Phoenix fight and more
As the Kings prepare for a finals fight without their star player, Xavier Cooks will be counting on a Sports Integrity Australia loophole to save his multimillion-dollar contract... and career.
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Sydney Kings captain Xavier Cooks could face a suspension of between one month and four years if he is found guilty of an anti-doping violation.
Cooks is fighting to save his $1 million-per-year career after the former league MVP tested positive to a banned substance and was provisionally stood down over a potential breach to the Australian National Anti-Doping policy.
Crosscourt has been told by multiple sources that Cooks hasn’t taken performance enhancing drugs, which could help his fight for leniency when proving his innocence towards doping.
The Kings forward returned an Adverse Analytical Finding after a recent test.
According to the Sport Integrity Australia framework, recreational or illicit drugs taken out of competition can still be in your sample on the day of competition.
If this happens, athletes are given an immediate provisional suspension from competition and will need to prove when they used the drug.
Establishing proof may require lawyers, scientific experts and witnesses.
If athletes can prove recreational or illicit drugs usage occurred outside of the day of competition then they may receive a reduced ban of one to three months.
The Kings bunkered down on Wednesday, denying media access to the club’s practice session ahead of Thursday night’s do-or-die NBL play-in clash against Adelaide.
THE NBA-BOUND KID WHO COULD BE KINGS’ SAVIOUR
The absence of Xavier Cooks has left Brian Goorjian and the Sydney Kings with the nightmare scenario of dealing with Adelaide’s monster frontcourt trio of Montrezl Harrell, Isaac Humphries and Jarell Martin without their best big man.
But it’s also left the Kings desperately short on ball handling, particularly given Goorjian has leaned into Cooks’ playmaking gifts as the offensive initiator, preferring to have star guard Jaylen Adams play off the ball as his main scoring weapon.
But newly-crowned Next Gen Award winner Alex Toohey could be the Kings’ secret weapon.
Throughout his junior career, the NBA-draft bound Swiss Army knife has shown the ability to be a floor general.
In 2022, he ran the point for the ACT at the U20 Nationals, leading the entire tournament with 6.29 assists per game.
In the NBL, the Next Star has typically been deployed as a stretch four or wing but his smarts and maturity could be Goorj’s ace in the hole when it comes to orchestrating the offence in Cooks’ absence.
Of course, at the other end, He might have to deal with Adelaide’s three-headed monster, with Cam Oliver the only other recognised big.
Jason Spurgin, elevated to the full roster when Keli Leaupepe suffered a hamstring injury, is 211cm but has played just 32 minutes across seven games this season.
Expect some funky line-ups as the Kings attempt to knock off a 36ers team that has owned them in the regular season with three wins in four meetings.
The Sixers will have added motivation after veteran guard Jason Cadee announced his retirement.
Cadee – a proud Bankstown Bruins junior – played 107 NBL games for the Kings spanning four seasons.
An NBL favourite, Cadee would love to end Sydney’s season and get a shot at South East Melbourne on Sunday.
PLAY-IN QUALIFIER
Sydney Kings v Adelaide 36ers, Qudos Bank Arena, Thursday, February 13, 7.30pm AEDT
PHOENIX MUST FLUSH PERTH FOUL-FEST TO AVOID STRAIGHT SETS NBL PLAY-IN EXIT
The frustrated Phoenix must quickly move on from Tuesday night’s foul fest in Perth and captain Jordi Hunter says his team will be ready to channel its rage into Sunday’s play-in decider.
In a game that has been branded one of the ugliest of NBL25, the referees blew 54 fouls and the two teams combined for a season-high 77 free throws – both the most in any game this season.
Hunter said the clash was not “fun” as stars on both teams ran into foul trouble before halftime, forcing altered approaches as the Wildcats flipped a halftime deficit into a 122-105 win.
“This is the best part of the season right now, everyone’s geeked up, excited to get out there and then everyone’s just standing, free throw block outs for three hours, so it’s tough,” Hunter said.
“Turns into everyone trying to manage quarter-to-quarter what they’re doing instead of what people want to watch, what coaches want to coach, what players want to play.”
The Wildcats cemented a semi final series against Melbourne United and left the Phoenix needing to defeat the winner of Thursday night’s Sydney-Adelaide eliminator to book a date with Illawarra.
Hunter said his team would process the frustrating night in Perth, then reload for Sunday.
“Whoever it is on Sunday, we will be raring to go,” Hunter said.
“This year, particularly, feels like a battle of who is mentally locked in and ready to go and our group is in a really good place.
“It doesn’t feel like our season’s ending on Sunday.”
Hunter said the team’s 0-5 start has ensured a desperation in every game this season, so Sunday will be no different.
“There won’t be too much chatter about backs against the wall because it’s been like that the whole season, we’ve had no wiggle room,” he said.
“We’ve been playing a good brand of basketball, we really trust in what we’re doing, in what Josh is trying to achieve and we trust in each other.
“Whoever we get has to deal with us. We’re the fourth seed, they’re coming to our place, they just played a tough one two days before, the ball’s in our court.”
PLAY-IN GAME
SEM Phoenix v Sydney Kings or Adelaide 36ers, Sunday, February 16, 2.30pm AEDT, John Cain Arena
INSIDE THE PLAN TO BRING NBA DOWN UNDER
High-level talks to bring an NBA team to Australia have been under way for over a year.
The Herald Sun exclusively revealed last week that an NBA team is set to land Down Under in October.
Crosscourt has been told no agreements have been signed yet, but the NBL, Basketball Australia, FIBA and the state government are united in the push, and it’s understood there are up to four teams which have expressed interest — including the New Orleans Pelicans.
Juggernauts like Golden State, LA Lakers, New York or Boston are unlikely to make the trek, but there are plenty of other teams with strong links to Australia.
Hoops fans rejoice! ðŸ€
— CODE Basketball (@codebballau) February 6, 2025
FULL STORY âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/7cCbP48OXdpic.twitter.com/utsvFRKobf
Wouldn’t it be great to see emergent Boomers Olympian Dyson Daniels head home with his Atlanta Hawks and face off against his younger brother Dash, who has signed on to be a Next Star with Melbourne United.
Or how about Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Josh Green and Charlotte? The Hornets have one of the most popular players ever to appear down under in former NBL rookie of the year LaMelo Ball. The former Illawarra Hawk is a smash hit with kids for his youthful exuberance and on-court flash.
So what might an NBA team’s first real visit to Australian shores look like?
Well, given reports for the potential for two games to be played in October, the NBL would have some big decisions to make.
The idea for a team of NBL All-Stars, featuring players from all 10 clubs, would likely entail a season pause. But it would also provide a broader interest for hoops fans outside Victoria.
Sources confirmed both Melbourne United and South East Melbourne would jump at the chance to take on a visiting NBA team.
While Marvel Stadium has hosted basketball before — when Team USA came to face the Boomers in 2013 — it’s understood the venue most likely would be the 14,000-seat Rod Laver Arena.
That’d ensure the tickets are the hottest in town.
The NBL has sent teams over to the US for exhibition games since 2019 and the relationship has gone from strength to strength since.
There remains myriad scenarios as to how this plays out, but the real positive in this is the NBA views the Australian basketball as fertile ground.
MORE EYEBALLS MUSIC TO NBL’S EARS
There’s no doubt the NBL is continuing to carve out more real estate in the nation’s crowded sporting psyche.
Fans are marching with their feet, their remotes and their smartphones as the league reports spikes in attendance, broadcast viewership and social media interactions.
During the third-last game of the regular season in Perth, the league ticked over one million fans through the gates for the second consecutive season, built on the back of 50 sellouts.
While the league rarely releases actual numbers, it is touting a 30 per cent jump in broadcast average across its various platforms — Kayo, pay TV and free-to-air.
A million fans and counting 🥹
— NBL (@NBL) February 7, 2025
It is the second consecutive year the NBL has hit the incredible milestone, and with Finals right around the corner, the total attendance figure will continue to increase ðŸ‘
Catch all the action live on ESPN 📺 pic.twitter.com/GEZ3ZDSYbW
That’s a hugely positive increase, given the league is deep in talks with various free-to-air and pay providers as it negotiates a vital new broadcast deal.
The NBL has over 1 million followers across social mediums like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter — a 31 per cent jump on last year.
The rising interest makes the NBL the fastest-growing sporting league in the country, NBL chief executive David Stevenson said.
“We couldn’t be happier with the increases we have seen in all areas this season,” Stevenson said.
“To see the league continue its unprecedented growth is a huge credit to the clubs, players, fans, broadcast, commercial and government partners, volunteers, and venues, who all play a valuable role in making the NBL one of the best sport entertainment products in the market.”
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Originally published as Crosscourt: Latest NBL news as 2025 postseason heats up, Xavier Cooks ban, Phoenix fight and more
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