NICKNAME/S: De-Lisch

BIO: Kevin Lisch was born and raised in Belleville, Illinois (USA. Lisch attended Catholic schools as a youth, beginning with Blessed Sacrament for grade school, then Althoff Catholic High School. His faith was always important to him.

He played basketball for Althoff Catholic and was often triple-defended on the court. Lisch was also a bright student, joining the student council and the National Honor Society. a all-state guard at Althoff, Lisch was twice named Belleville News-Democrat Player of the Year.Lisch continued on at a Catholic institute for college, joining Saint Louis University (SLU).

Lisch holds a Italian passport thanks to his mother’s Italian heritage, and in March 2016, he became a Australian citizen.

FAMILY: Lisch is the son of Rusty and Cathy Lisch. His father was a standout prep basketball player before choosing football and going on to play in the National Football League (NFL) as a quarterback.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Kevin Lisch made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 23 years of age. He scored 12 points in his first game.

Following the 2008/09 season, the Wildcats came within weeks of folding unless they raised a million dollars in sponsorship. The NBL itself was also in strife; with the competition falling on tough times, there was a real possibility at the time that there would be no league in 2009-10. Collaborating with other clubs, the Wildcats helped reform the league.

Once the season was given the green light, the Wildcats hired a new coach in Rob Beveridge, who was tasked with recruiting a new-look team where Shawn Redhage, Stephen Weigh and Brad Robbins would be complimented by newly acquired proven talent Damian Martin (via Sydney), Drew Williamson (via Townsville), Luke Schenscher (via Adelaide), Martin Cattalini (via Cairns) and rookie Jesse Wagstaff to round out the bench. Import Kevin Lisch was then recruited to lead the Wildcats on the offensive end and lead the team into a new era. Just prior to the season kicking off, Paul Rogers relinquished the captaincy heading into the 2009/10 season, handing over the reins to Redhage. In what would be his final NBL season, Rogers would play two games before a injury to his elbow and triceps in the team’s second game would see him sidelined for the rest of the season. The injuries would ultimately end Rogers’ playing career, and the Wildcats signed import Galen Young as his replacement.

Lisch started out slowly over his initial weeks in the league, averaging only 11.4 points across his first five NBL games. A victory over the Melbourne Tigers (94-90) where he dropped a season-high 21 points in 27 minutes, proved to all that he would be a force in this league. By January, the Wildcats had emerged as clear frontrunners (13 wins, 8 losses) as new point guard Damian Martin (8.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists) delivered his best season to date, numbers which would earn him a Australian Boomers call-up at the end of the season. Alongside them, Lisch would finish the season with averages of 12.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.

The team rolled through the regular season to finish in first place (17-11) before going on to the semi finals to face Gold Coast (fourth seed). Lisch (19 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) led the Wildcats in scoring in game one (81-68). In game two, Lisch (18 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) backed it up, by leading the team to victory once again (82-78), sending Perth through to a Grand Final matchup with Wollongong (making their first Grand Final series since 2003).

Perth started the series with a very comfortable win at home (75–64), with Lisch (15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block) filling the box score. The series then moved to Wollongong for game two, where the Hawks rebounded to defeat Perth (75-63), with both Lisch (11 points) and Redhage (9 points) struggling to make a impact in the loss.

After Games 1 and 2 proved to be comfortable victories for each home team, the series returned to Perth for the third and deciding game, where the Wildcats found themselves down by as many as 11 points in the second quarter. Lisch (29 points and 5 rebounds) would prove to be the difference-maker in the second half, carrying the team offensively, defeating Wollongong (96–72) and guiding the team to a record fifth NBL Championship. Lisch was subsequently named Finals MVP after averaging 18 points and 4 rebounds over the three-game series.

2010/11
After winning the 2010 championship, Wildcats legends Paul Rogers and Martin Cattalini decided to retire, leaving room for Perth to bring in some younger talent. Ater Majok, Greg Hire, Cameron Tovey, Jeremiah Trueman, and big man Matthew Knight being the key addition. Perth had beaten out multiple offers from both European and NBL team’s offering contracts to Knight, who had spent the last season playing in Hungary. During the off-season, he was pursued by multiple European and NBL clubs, but Knight, who had previously played under coach Rob Beveridge and alongside Damian Martin with the Sydney Spirit before they exited the NBL, ultimately chose to sign with the Wildcats. Another major coup came with the team being able to retain star import Kevin Lisch despite him several European clubs offering him much larger contracts and re-signed Shawn Redhage (three-year deal).

Knight’s debut season for the Wildcats began positively before tearing his left calf muscle in a win over Melbourne (12 Dec). The injury ruled Knight out for two months, and a injury to Jesse Wagstaff (ankle ligaments) saw him on the sidelines as well shortly after. On Christmas Eve, the Wildcats signed Ater Majok (7.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks) to a six-week deal as an injury replacement for Jesse Wagstaff and Matthew Knight. 8 games later Majok was released due to behavioural issues. Despite his short stint in Perth, Majok became a favourite amongst the Wildcat’s fans with due to his shot blocking ability, blocking a total of 11 shots in his first three games. This forced coach Beveridge to sign former NBA big man Andre Brown (9.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 0.6 steals) in a attempt to improve the interior weaknesses since losing Knight (12.4 points and 6.7 rebounds) and Wagstaff (8.4 points and 4.3 rebounds).

Shortly after, a hip injury to leading scorer Shawn Redhage (18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) resulted in losing him for the second half of the season, throwing another spanner into the Wildcats’ hunt for back-to-back titles. Redhage dislocated his left hip during a loss to Adelaide (77–76) on the road. Redhage had lunged for a contested ball in a way that punched the head of his femur through his pelvis, breaking the bone and dislocating the joint. The injury was originally feared to be career-ending, with Redhage potentially requiring a hip replacement.

The Wildcats lost four consecutive games following Redhage’s injury, winning only two from the team’s remaining eight matches, as Kevin Lisch (13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals) delivered another impressive season, scoring in double figures in all but nine games.

the Wildcats finished the season in fourth place (16-12) and would earn a semi final matchup against New Zealand.

The Undermanned Wildcats rode the brilliance of Kevin Lisch (29 points), who almost single-handedly won the opening game of the series for Perth (101-78 win). After losing in Auckland, the Breakers would travel to Perth and win games two (93-89) and three (99-83) before going on to defeat Cairns to win the 2011 NBL championship.

Kevin Lisch and Shawn Redhage were named co-MVPs for the Wildcats, and Damian Martin (8.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.4 steals) claimed the league’s Best Defensive Player award for the first time. Martin also made history by becoming the first player to be named to the All-NBL First Team and average under nine points per game.

2011/12
Perth looked to get back on top in 2011 by adding 7’2 centre Luke Nevill with a aim to re-create the ‘Perth Wall’ alongside Matthew Knight, Jesse Wagstaff and Shawn Redhage, who was returning to action returned to action after a career-threatening injury suffered the prior season.

Redhage made his remarkable return in the Wildcats’ season opener against the 36ers in Adelaide on 8 October 2011. In the arena where his horrific injury occurred nine months earlier, Redhage scored a game-high 26 points (6-of-9 threes) alongside Kevin Lisch (23 points at 73 percent) and Jesse Wagstaff (22 points at 50 percent), who also delivered big games, and handed Adelaide their biggest opening night loss in team history (69-102).

Kevin Lisch, who re-signed with the Wildcats (two-year deal), was coined the ‘best import in the league’ by coach Rob Beveridge at the start of the year, and he certainly proved that during the five rounds of the season. With Damian Martin injured, Lisch ran the point for the first few weeks and averaged 22.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game during October, guiding the Wildcat’s to a 3–1 record. Lisch (17.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) finished the season as the league’s leading scorer (the first Wildcats player to lead the NBL in scoring) and won the NBL Most Valuable Player award. Shawn Redhage (13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists), Jesse Wagstaff (11.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) and Matthew Knight (10.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) were key to the Wildcat’s success, as was Damian Martin (7.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists) claimed his second consecutive Best Defensive Player award.

Perth (19-9) entered the playoffs as the second seed, and after defeating Gold Coast in the semifinals (2-1), they would face New Zealand in the Grand Final. After losing to the Breakers in game one in Auckland, the Wildcat’s looked down and out in game two in Perth also. All looked lost for Perth In game two, who trailed the Breakers for much of the game until Hire, who had averaged five minutes a game for the season, delivered a rousing half-time speech before injecting life into Perth in the third term. Backing up his words, Hire (2.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.5 assists) registered seven points and four rebounds in the following quarter and led a Perth comeback that turned a 13 point deficit to a one-point win (87–86). The final play of the game being a memorable final-second shot from Breakers guard CJ Bruton being blocked by Shawn Redhage.

It all ended with the team returning to Auckland for game three and suffering a six-point loss (79-73) in front of 9,258 New Zealand faithful, the largest NBL crowd of the season.

2012/13
Before the season began, the state-of-the-art Perth Arena was completed, with the 13,500 seat stadium becoming the new home of the Wildcat’s in 2012. Perth began the season hoping for Matthew Knight, who had undergone off-season shoulder surgery, to become the team’s go-to guy in the paint. Knight embraced the responsibility and excelled in the Wildcats’ season-opening win over the New Zealand Breakers, earning the NBL’s Player of the Week award for a 20-point, nine-rebound effort.

a early season win against the Townsville (Oct 14) saw Kevin Lisch (15.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists) play in his 100th consecutive NBL game and Rob Beveridge coach 100 games for the Wildcats. Amidst the celebrations however, Knight (13.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists) succumbed to another injury that saw him miss four games. Import Michael Dunigan (13.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks) was brought in as a short-term replacement, becoming a fan-favourite with his thunderous dunks and athletic blocks before exiting the club once Knight returned to health.

Ten games in, Perth faced another hurdle when co-captain Brad Robbins (3.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) abruptly retired, citing he had lost his motivation and passion for the game. Rhys Carter (6.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals), who had been playing in Sweden, was brought in as a replacement for Robbins and played the remaining 16 games as Damian Martin (6.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) was elevated to co-captain alongside Shawn Redhage (14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists) upon Robbins’ retirement. Shortly after, Cameron Tovey (1.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) also announced he would retire at the season’s end.

Despite the shuffling of the roster, the Wildcat’s went on to finish in second-place (22–6).

Lisch and Knight were both selected to the All-NBL first team and together, swept Wollongong in the semifinals (2-0), setting up a Grand Final rematch against New Zealand, their third time facing the Breakers in a playoff series in as many years. Damian Martin (6.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.9 steals) won his third consecutive Best Defensive Player award before learning a injury to his Achilles would stop him from playing in the Grand Final series. a emergency call was then made to the retired Brad Robbins, who was rushed back into the lineup as a replacement, but with the team missing Martin, New Zealand defeated Perth in two straight games, winning their third consecutive championship in 2013. Redhage appeared in 32 games, averaging 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.

In late May 2013, Lisch and coach Rob Beveridge parted ways with the Wildcats after four seasons. Lisch ended his four-year tenure in Perth to pursue his European aspirations, finishing with career averages of 14.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game.

In late May 2013, Lisch and coach Rob Beveridge parted ways with the Wildcats after four seasons. Lisch ended his four-year tenure in Perth to pursue his European aspirations, finishing with career averages of 14.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2015/16
Following long-time coach Gordie McLeod’s departure, Rob Beveridge was signed as head coach for the 2015/16 season. He made big moves coming into his first season, inking the trio of AJ Ogilvy, Kirk Penney, and Kevin Lisch, who had all been playing in Europe the previous season.

The trio were dubbed ‘the three-headed monster’, but a knee injury to Lisch in the Hawks opening game of the season saw the trio play limited games together during the first month of the season.

Lisch returned to action with a 15 point and 7 rebound effort in a loss to his former team, the Perth Wildcats (106–99). In January, Lisch was named NBL Player of the Month for December after leading the Hawks to five wins in six games and averaging 22.7 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game throughout the month. This included a career-high 40 points in a double-overtime win over New Zealand (103–96) in Auckland. Four days later, he played his 150th NBL game in a loss to the Wildcats in Perth.

Illawarra finished in third place (17–11), setting up a semi finals clash against rivals Perth in the semifinals. The Hawks suffered a blow to their chances of defeating the Wildcats when Lisch suffered a ankle injury late in the first quarter of first game and returned to the bench in the second half on crutches and with his foot in a moon boot. The injury ruled Lisch out of Game 2, but the Hawks managed to rally at home to even the series. He recovered in time to face the Wildcats in game three however, despite Lisch’s return, the Hawks were defeated (89–74) and eliminated from the playoffs.

Penney was named to the All-NBL second team while both Ogilvy (16.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) and Lisch (19.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals) were selected to the All-NBL First Team. Lisch also took home the Best Defensive Player award as well as winning the NBL MVP for the second time, making Lisch only the second player in NBL history to win the award with two different team’s.

SYDNEY KINGS
2016/17
The Kings began the season searching for relevancy both on the court and amongst the Sydney public. The first move made to accomplish this was inking Australian basketball icon Andrew Gaze to a three-year deal as the team’s head coach.

Shortly after, the team convinced Kevin Lisch to turn down a contract extension from the Illawarra Hawks to sign a lucrative three-year that made him the highest-paid player in the NBL.

Gaze and Kings GM Jeff Van Groningen then looked to bolster the Kings roster with new talent after a listless season the year before which resulted in a 6–22 record and a last place finish.

More major signings were incoming when the team convinced two Australian Boomers to join the club on multi-year deals, first swingman Brad Newley (Spain) and shortly after Aleks Maric, whose nickname ‘Truck’ explains clearly the type of game he would bring to the Kings.

Lisch, Newley, and Maric would be added to the returning Aussie core of Tom Garlepp, Jason Cadee, Jeromie Hill and Julian Khazzouh.

An additional bonus for Sydney was Lisch becoming an Australian citizen in March, creating three open import roster spots for the team to use. The Kings had been carried by imports Josh Childress and Al Harrington the year prior but chose not to re-sign either player, replacing them with Michael Bryson, Greg Whittington and Josh Powell.

Powell’s signing proved critical as shortly after it became apparent that a quadriceps injury would keep Khazzouh off the court for the entire season.

In the weeks leading up to the start of the season, Lisch was appointed team captain and the team began the season. In the opening game of the season, Lisch (20 points) led the Kings in scoring but couldn’t get the win over a motivated Brisbane squad (73–77). Josh Powell would arrive in time to play in the Kings’ second game and racked up 14 points and six rebounds in a 88–84 win over the Illawarra Hawks. The win preceded a video of the team celebrating their first win, which went viral and had many picking the team to reach the playoffs for the first time since the Kings re-entered the league.

Import Michael Bryson (1.8 points, 1 rebound, and 0.8 assists) struggled to make a impact in his short stint with the Kings and was replaced with 13-year NBA veteran, Steve Blake. Despite Bryson’s lack of production, Lisch (16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 steals), Newley (17.6 points, 5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals), and Cadee (13 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) were firing on all cylinders and the team were sitting in top spot on the ladder with a 3-1 record.

On November 12, 2016, when Kevin Lisch scored a season-high 30 points to deliver a 87–71 win over Melbourne, the team became title favourites. The play of Lisch led coach Gaze and new teammate Steve Blake to say Lisch was good enough to play in the NBA.

However, things began to deteriorate after that. The Kings’ ‘front-heavy’ home schedule began to catch up to them. Blake (5.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists) struggled to provide any of the ability he had shown during this NBA career, and after being granted indefinite leave on compassionate grounds to return home to be with a sick family member, it was clear he would not be returning.

Lisch saw his production decrease and seemingly started to burn out, and Powell (9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds), who would go on to deliver a couple of big games, finished the season coming off the bench.

At this stage, Sydney had lost five of their past eight games and, by Christmas, had fallen to third on the ladder (11-8). Instead of maintaining a search for a suitable replacement for Blake, signed forward Garrett Jackson, who had been playing in the state league and was also a training player for the Kings for several seasons.

An unfortunate season-ending ankle injury suffered by Tony Tolovae, who had appeared in only one game for the Kings, resulted in opening up a additional spot on the roster. Sydney would use it to William McDowell-White (2.1 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in seven games) as a development player for the rest of the season. McDowell-White, had been heavily recruited by several NCAA programs, including powerhouses like Michigan State, Louisville and USC but McDowell-White but after committing to play with the University of Fresno State, he was unable to gain clearance to play in the NCAA.

Under first-year coach Gaze, the Kings tried and tested a number of different line-ups, but nothing saw them reclaim their early form. After a 8-3 start, they went 5-12, including losing nine of their final twelve games.

Sydney finished in seventh place (13-15) and missed the playoffs in disappointing fashion, while new additions Lisch and Newley earned All-NBL second team selection.

In a personal victory for Lisch, who had suffered multiple injuries since joining the Kings, he took the court in 27 out of the Kings’ 28 games this season, his lone missed game came on October 30 against Brisbane due to a minor leg injury.

2017/18
Lisch’s production dropped off as the 2016/17 season came to a close, with the Kings’ management putting it down to a mixture of niggling injuries, his workload, and the fact that he’d just come off a Olympic campaign with the Australian Boomers in August 2016. Aimed at resolving a nagging injury that curtailed his performance in 2016/17, Lisch underwent minor knee surgery during the offseason. The Kings remained confident during the 2017 offseason that Lisch was the man for the job, despite calls for the team to go after the likes of Jerome Randle or Casper Ware. After a off-season of rest and a training schedule refinement, Lisch entered the 2017/18 season ready to redeem himself.

On September 28, 2017, Lisch and the Kings flew to Salt Lake City in the United States to face the Utah Jazz in a historic preseason game on October 2, marking the first time a NBL team has travelled to the U.S. to play a NBA team. Lisch scored 13 points in the 108–83 loss.

Lisch was described early in the season as “simply not a point guard” after starting at the point in the first three games. The Kings’ offence looked disorganised in the preseason, as well as the beginning of the regular season, and things only got worse when Lisch went down with a calf tear. In just the third game of the season on October 15 against the Illawarra Hawks, Lisch left the game in the third quarter with a right calf injury. He was subsequently ruled out for eight weeks with a grade two tear. Lisch was on track to return to action on December 17 against the Cairns Taipans after re-joining the full squad at training at the seven-week mark. However, he re-injured his calf at training on December 13. The Kings struggled defensively in Lisch’s absence and sat at the bottom of the NBL ladder for much of the season.

He returned to the active roster in mid-January after missing 17 games. In his return game on January 13, Lisch recorded seven points and four rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench before fouling out of the Kings’ 104–101 loss to the Adelaide 36ers. On February 15, he scored a season-high 18 points in a 90–73 win over the Brisbane Bullets. Playing alongside mid-season signing Jerome Randle, Lisch (11.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 steals) helped the Kings to six wins in their last seven games. Despite the late-season surge, the Kings missed the playoffs, finishing seventh (11–17) on the ladder.

2018/19
Sydney entered the 2018-19 season with high expectations after making several key signings, including Andrew Bogut, who returned to Australia after 14 seasons in the NBA, including winning an NBA championship in 2015 with Golden State.

The Kings were the first team to take advantage of the NBL’s newly established Next Stars program, signing highly touted prospect Brian Bowen, a McDonald’s All-American who opted to play in the NBL to develop his skills for the NBA Draft. Other key additions included Daniel Kickert (via Brisbane) and David Wear (via Spain). The team strengthened further with depth players like Deng Deng (via Big V – McKinnon), Kyle Adnam (via Melbourne), and Tom Wilson (via Melbourne), alongside development player Lachlan Barker (via Sydney). Midway through the season, the Kings bolstered their roster by adding Ray Turner (via state league – Bendigo) to cover for injuries to Andrew Bogut as the team prepared for a playoff push. Though he played a limited role, his energy and presence off the bench were crucial during key moments.

Kevin Lisch (14.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 steals) served as captain and played a critical role as one of the Kings’ primary guards. He showcased his ability early in the preseason by scoring 16 points, along with 9 rebounds and 6 assists, in a loss (110-91) to the Los Angeles Clippers during an NBLxNBA clash in Hawaii. Despite strong contributions from Jerome Randle (25 points), Daniel Kickert (13 points), and Brad Newley (8 points), the Kings struggled to match the Clippers’ NBA-level size and speed, ultimately falling by 19 points. Sydney narrowed the margin to within one point on two occasions but couldn’t sustain the pace for all four quarters.

Lisch’s consistency carried into the regular season, with his best performances including his 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 three-pointers in an overtime win over Cairns (98-90) on October 28, playing in his 200th game on November 2, where he contributed 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists in a loss to New Zealand (75-73), his 21 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists in a win over Brisbane (107-91) on February 3, 2019, and a 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists in a close loss to Melbourne (87-85) on January 11, 2019. Lisch’s performances helped the Kings secure third place with an 18-10 record before being eliminated in the semifinals by Melbourne United.

Alongside Lisch, the Kings were led by Jerome Randle (17.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists), who, despite battling a glute injury, remained a crucial contributor and earned All-NBL Second Team honors. Andrew Bogut (11.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.7 blocks) anchored the defense and provided leadership, while Daniel Kickert (9.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) offered reliable shooting from range. Brian Bowen (6.3 points, 3.2 rebounds) provided athleticism and versatility at the wing position.

Andrew Bogut’s arrival transformed the Kings into serious title contenders. He was named the NBL’s Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year, averaging (11.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.7 blocks) per game. His leadership guided the Kings back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Midway through the season, the Kings added Ray Turner (1.7 points, 0.7 rebounds) from Bendigo in the state league to provide additional depth, particularly in covering for injuries to Bogut.

In Game 1 of the semifinals (95-73), Kevin Lisch contributed 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, but it was not enough to counter Casper Ware (22 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists) and DJ Kennedy (20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists). Brad Newley (17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists) and Jerome Randle (13 points) were the top scorers for Sydney, but the Kings lacked consistent firepower across the board. Andrew Bogut was solid defensively with (7 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 blocks).

In Game 2 of the semifinals (90-76), Kevin Lisch posted 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, trying to keep the Kings in contention. However, Melbourne’s Casper Ware (30 points, 5 rebounds) and Chris Goulding (23 points, 4 rebounds) once again dominated, ending Sydney’s playoff run. Kyle Adnam (13 points) and Kevin Lisch (13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) were the top scorers for the Kings. Andrew Bogut showed resilience, bouncing back with a double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks) after a quiet Game 1, but it wasn’t enough to avoid elimination.

2019/20
With Sydney having underdelivered with Andrew Gaze as coach, the Kings went a different direction in 2019 and signed Will Weaver, a current assistant coach on the Australian Boomers, as the team’s head coach. With Melbourne deciding not to take on the optional third of Moller’s contract, he would return to Sydney, signing a two-year deal (15 April 2019).

Sydney’s other moves included re-signing Kevin Lisch, who had opportunities to join South East Melbourne and Illawarra during the off-seasonbut decided to take a pay cut and re-commit to the Kings, to a multi-year deal. Jerome Randle was replaced with Casper Ware (via Melbourne) and imports David Wear with Jae’Sean Tate also brought in. Weaver would add local talent Xavier Cooks (Winthrop University), Shaun Bruce (via Adelaide) and Lucas Walker (via Cairns).

With the NBL ramping up its ‘Next Stars’ program, the Kings also acquired Didi Louzada, who had just been drafted by the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, as a additional part of their roster.

The team suffered a major injury set-back when Kevin Lisch (6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals) suffered a left ankle fracture in Round 2 of the season and was subsequently ruled out for two months. Sydney added import Deshon Taylor (6.6 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1 assists), who had been released by the Adelaide 36ers in the pre-season until Lisch was able to return in February. He managed to play the final three games of the regular season to help the Kings finish in first-place (20–8).

During Moller’s second stint with the Kings, He appeared in the first 11 games of the 2019/20 season before missing the next 16 games with a right ankle injury. Moller (7.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) returned to play in the Kings’ final regular season game, just in time for the playoffs.

Weaver had constructed a Kings team that delivered a well-balanced attack, proving almost unstoppable during the regular season. Casper Ware (19.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists) led the team in scoring, while Jae’Sean Tate (16.4 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists 1.1 steals) showcased a all-around game that not only saw him named in the All-NBL First Team, and Kings club MVP but resulted in him gaining a NBA contract with Houston the following year.

Andrew Bogut (8.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks), who showed clear signs of slowing down, was still able to make a huge impact at the defensive end and was named to the league’s All-NBL second team.

Sydney went on to defeat Melbourne in the semifinals (2-1), and would face off against Perth in the Grand Final.

Game one saw the Kings lose a nail biter (86-88), with Lisch (17 points) leading the team in scoring. As the team’s prepared for game two in Perth, it was decided that the remaining games would all take place with no fans in the building. Without a single fan in the building, the Kings evened the series (1-1) thanks to Jae’Sean Tate (21 points) nailing seven of his nine shots and Andrew Bogut (24 points and 14 rebounds) having one of his best games of the season.

In game three of the grand final series against the Sydney Kings, Kay (30 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists) delivered a career high scoring effort, including seven three-pointers alongside Cotton (31 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists) to propel Perth to a game three victory (111–96).

Prior to game four, the Sydney Kings chose to withdraw from the series due to uncertainties of the coronavirus and travel restrictions. With multiple Kings players based overseas, many were concerned the restrictions would prevent any return home. After a week spent deliberating, it was decided Perth would be awarded the championship due to holding a 2-1 lead at the time, securing their tenth title. After averaging 30.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists over the three games, Cotton was named Grand Final MVP for the second time in four years, becoming the first player in Wildcats history to be named league MVP, Grand Final MVP and win a championship all in the same season.

Lisch’s ankle injury suffered early in the season led to a exacerbation of a pre-existing ankle condition which resulted in him undergoing surgery immediately after the season. After recommendations from multiple medical specialists that told him that he should avoid any further impact following the surgery and as a result, Lisch announced his retirement from basketball on June 9, 2020.

Kevin Lisch played nine seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Perth Wildcats, Illawarra Hawks and Sydney Kings. He averaged 14.8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 233 NBL games.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Dan Boyce (817 Posts)

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.