The Sydney Kings are excited to announce a ground breaking partnership with Basketball NSW.

The agreement aims to grow the sport, increase player participation as well as maximising the basketball public’s appetite for the Sydney Kings.

The Kings are investing resources and committing to work with BNSW to achieve shared objectives ensuring the game of basketball – at the grassroots and professional level – continues to grow strongly.

BNSW Chair Bob Elphinston (OAM) thanked the Sydney Kings for their initiative in wanting to become a major partner in basketball development in Sydney. “The Kings initiative in providing financial support to assist BNSW and Associations will help grow the game across the 18 associations in Sydney and in turn attract new fans to the Sydney Kings NBL home games at Qudos Bank Arena, Elphinston said.

This is the first time that a formal agreement has been made which should ensure that youth basketball in particular will get a real boost across metropolitan Sydney,” Elphinston added.

Sydney Kings Managing Director Jeff Van Groningen echoed those thoughts. “We value the chance to work with BNSW Chairman Bob Elphinston and the team at BNSW. Our initiative to create a pathway for young BNSW standouts through our Development Player contracts is something we are particularly proud of. Our agreement with BNSW is reflective of our faith in their organisation as the governing body in this great state.”

The investments being made by the Kings go well beyond financial help. Every player on the Kings roster has been allocated at least one association, and that player is committed to school visits/activities, holiday camps and Aussie Hoops clinics within that association.

The team has also taken on new staff to support the partnership, engaging a full-time community co-ordinator to help ensure the Kings, BNSW and all the associations receive the full benefit of the partnership.

The Sydney Kings have also agreed to:

• Support BNSW with initiatives to establish new associations in growth areas of Sydney that are not currently serviced by active associations.
• Provide collateral and personnel support for association, school visits/activities, holiday camps and Aussie Hoops clinics
• Promote “Inspire the Next Generation” where a Sydney Kings player is aligned with a specific association.  The Sydney Kings will develop association specific visual campaigns for the associations to use to promote each of the Sydney Kings home games.
• With the support of Basketball NSW the Sydney Kings will stage a ‘Sydney Kings Rookie Camp’ each year.  The camp will be held in the preseason and the Kings will be looking to select up to four (4) Sydney Kings Development Players. This is a great opportunity for young Sydney basketballers to be a part of the Kings pathway and eventually secure a contract with the Sydney Kings.  It will also be an opportunity for Sydney based coaches to be a part of the Rookie Camp each year.
• Promote a primary schools engagement program ‘So you think you can play’, which  is aimed at creating strong community links between schools, basketball associations and the Sydney Kings. It provides the school children a taste of being a part of a Sydney Kings home game at the Qudos Bank Arena.
• Promote Aussie Hoops, a national junior development program aimed at 5-10year olds at Sydney Kings home games
• Support the Basketball NSW Campus, through guest appearances by Sydney Kings players and coaches.
• To host one 1) metropolitan forum, where the Sydney Kings will be given an opportunity to present to the associations and also network with associations key decision makers.

This partnership is the first of its kind, and shows how seriously the new ownership of the Sydney Kings is to reaching out to the wider NSW basketball community.

This new partnership was exhibited on September 1st, when the Kings hosted more than 40 children – from all across NSW’s Sydney associations – at Qudos Bank Arena, conducting shooting, passing and dribbling clinics.

The night was a massive success, and included some incredible feats of athleticism as new import Michael Bryson jumped over multiple children and dunked the ball home in style, which can be seen in a video produced from the night.

That video can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGqQ81eB4nc and will be available to share on the Sydney Kings Facebook page and at SydneyKings.com.

The Sydney Kings open their NBL season against the Brisbane Bullets at 5pm on October 8^th, at Qudos Bank Arena.