NBL coaching great Brian Goorjian believes the Sydney Spirit are being precious if they can’t see the importance of the Sydney Kings’ return to the national competition.
The stage is set for a fiery night in Sydney on Friday when former Kings coach Brian Goorjian brings his new club the South Dragons to face the Spirit at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.
The Spirit have been griping behind the scenes ever since Goorjian commented earlier this month that the return of the Kings to the NBL next season was vital to Australian basketball’s current reform process.
But Goorjian, who oversaw the most successful on-court period in the Kings’ history, says the Spirit missed the point.
The Kings and Brisbane Bullets – two of the most iconic brands in the NBL – folded in the off-season, which Goorjian likened to NBA franchises the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks disappearing.
He feels the two clubs, who spent years establishing a brand name in the Australian sporting marketplace, must return to re-ignite interest in the floundering NBL.
And he feels the Spirit also need the Kings.
“I was taken back and disappointed that the Sydney Spirit took offence at those comments,” Goorjian told AAP today.
“It was taken by the Spirit that I thought they needed to go.
“I certainly don’t feel that way.
“The Sydney market and the Melbourne market make the league go, but you need that rivalry.
“I would be saying the same thing if it was just the Dragons in Melbourne, it wouldn’t be good. We need the Melbourne Tigers.
“If the Spirit can’t see that, I think they’re precious and don’t get it.”
Goorjian is known for his passion, but even by his standards this was an emotional plea to get his message across as he tries to capitalise on his first trip back to the city he called home for six years.
The Spirit changed their name from the West Sydney Razorbacks in the off-season in an effort to attract all of the city’s basketball fans following the death of the Kings.
It is part of the reason why they are playing a home game at the Kings’ former home in the CBD.
They were widely tipped as wooden spoon favourites, but have won their past three games after a 0-3 start to the season.
With the talent pool narrowing after the demise of the Kings, Bullets and Singapore Slingers, Goorjian says no team has excuses for putting an uncompetitive team on the floor.
“If you put a team on the court that’s bad, you’ve really got a problem,” he said.
“With the three teams going down and with all the Australian talent, if you’ve got a team on the floor that’s bad you’ve got to have a look at yourself.
“(The Spirit) scream that they’re young, I don’t see them as young.
“I look at Matthew Knight, Julian Khazzouh, Liam Rush, Derrick Low, Damian Martin, they’re in the prime of their careers.
“I look at them on paper and I rate them.”
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