'This is a moment for the League': Goorjian

Few know the NBL better than Sydney Kings coach Brian Goorjian, who has been involved in the competition for more than 27 years as both a coach and player.

The seven-time NBL champion and Coach of the Year has experienced most of the highs and lows the League has gone through since its inception in 1979.

And right now, after one of the greatest Championship Series in the League’s history, combined with another record-breaking season by the NBL, Goorjian could not be more excited for what the future holds for the competition.

“The state of the game, it's here to stay,” Goorjian said on NBL Now.

“It's such a good feeling [after being overseas] and coming back and seeing the position Australian basketball is in.

“You look at this, and you talk about timing, it’s a great time for the League right now, and it was a great time for these two teams [Sydney and Adelaide] to be playing each other in front of 18,500 people.

“The energy, the profile of Kendric [Davis] is amazing, and the funny thing is that despite us winning three championships in a row with Sydney, the name that always came up as an icon for the Kings was Dwayne McClain.

“But I always thought, Dwayne never won anything, he never got a championship, but he captivated the city and he captivated the basketball community.

“So for Kendric to go after the top dog [Bryce Cotton], and win with that swagger [is something that the city will never forget].

“When I go down the street now [in Sydney], and even to Melbourne, people are talking about that Championship Series.

“I went to my grandson's football game [recently]. I'm standing on the sideline, and I turn around to see Mick Malthouse.

“He shook my hand and said he and his wife loved the Championship Series, and the faces that drove that are Kendric and Bryce.

“It's a moment for the League in a time where we need to take a jump. It's moved to something special.

“We [the League] are getting such a reputation as far as how we play the game. The competition itself, the professionalism, the lifestyle, it's got everything.

“We're just on the verge, and I think that Series was a turning point.”

The Olympic medal-winning coach’s sentiments are correct, with the League’s growth and popularity helping it land a landmark free-to-air deal with Channel 9 for next season.

Goorjian is currently ramping up preparations for the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 Season, with Xavier Cooks, Matthew Dellavedova, Jaylin Galloway, Makuach Maluach, Kouat Noi, Keli Leaupepe, Tyler Robertson and Jason Spurgin all under contract.