This week the Sydney Kings posted a rather cryptic message on the team’s social media platforms regarding how much size matters.
We’ve got some big news for the FANS coming on Thursday. Hint, SIZE DOES MATTER! pic.twitter.com/n6tZd1Emkh
— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) October 3, 2016
Many fans have speculated that perhaps it’s referring to the new scoreboard at Qudos Bank Arena, the Kings new home, which at 60sq metres will be the largest indoor scoreboard in the Southern Hemisphere.
However, it seems more and more likely that this is about an exciting new player signing that is set to be announced in coming days.
Image Created By Adam Fahmy
Aussie Hoopla has been told that the Sydney Kings have been speaking to three-time NBA Slam Dunk champion Nate Robinson, who most recently played with the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA and spent last season playing for the Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League.
Robinson stands at only 1.75cm and would be the shortest player in the league and equal third on the list of the shortest players who have ever played in the National Basketball League if the Kings are successful in gaining his signature.
SHORTEST PLAYERS IN NBL HISTORY
| Zac Delany | 165cm |
| Wayne Larkins | 167cm |
| Cal Bruton | 175 cm |
| T.J. Campbell | 175cm |
Robinson has already mentioned the NBL on his Instagram account in a post which included the words “big things on the way y’all , just wait for it”
@zaneroberec @zanerobe @revolveman big things on the way y’all , just wait for it #holdat #zteam
A photo posted by Nate Robinson (@naterobinson) on
Robinson, who is a sponsored athlete of the brand Zanerobe, was connected to the Kings via his relationship with the Sydney Streetwear brand. It is believed if Robinson does agree to the Kings offer to play with them he would do a number of promotions for the Zanerobe brand while he is in Sydney.
Zanerobe have already partnered with the NBL on a number of events in the past and the shared benefits that Zanerobe would gain from larger exposure via the NBL and the exposure the NBL would get from Zanerobe’s athlete Nate Robinson playing the league being a fantastic collaboration for both brands and the reason why this has been able to happen.
Robinson was selected with the 21st overall pick by the Phoenix Suns in the 2005 NBA draft. He was later traded to the New York Knicks and averaged 9.3 points, and 2.0 assists his rookie season.
Robinson became a household name when he entered the 2006 Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest, where he narrowly defeated Andre Iguodala 141–140 to become Slam Dunk Champion. In his most memorable dunk of the night, he jumped over 1986 champion Spud Webb and received a perfect 50-point score.
Robinson came second in the 2007 Dunk Competition but was able to reclaim his title as one of the greatest dunkers of all time by winning it for the second time in 2008. This season he etched himself into the fans memory banks by running back to the locker room midway through the competition, changing into a green Knicks jersey and telling the commentators he should be known now as “KryptoNATE”, a competing reference to competitor Dwight Howard’s Superman themed dunk he had performed minutes earlier.
Robinson enjoyed his best season in 2008/09 when he averaged 17.2 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, and almost 30 minutes per game for the Knicks.
Robinson also won the 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, becoming the first three-time Slam Dunk champion.
Robinson was traded from the Knicks in 2010 and since then played for the Boston, Oklahoma City, Golden State, Chicago, Denver, LA Clippers and New Orleans during his 10-year career in the NBA.
Robinsons signing would be the Kings third import on the roster which would mean former star Josh Childress would not be returning to the club for 2016/17.
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
