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Kings vs Hawks: Ep. 6 — LaMelo Ball, Spy-Gate and ‘The Hawks’ lose their Illawarra name

  • February 2, 2026
  • Dan Boyce
  • Podcasts
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  • 319 Views

We continue diving deeper into one of Aussie hoops’ fiercest rivalries — Sydney vs Illawarra — picking things up as LaMelo Ball and his Rookie of the Year season in 2019 propelled the Hawks into the global spotlight, setting NBL viewership and attendance records, while the Kings reloaded under Will Weaver and pushed for a championship in a season that ended in chaos.

Host Dan Boyce breaks down LaMelo’s viral debut, his back-to-back triple-doubles, and the impact of Aaron Brooks’ season-ending injury on Illawarra’s playoff hopes, before diving into the record-setting 17,514 crowd that packed Qudos Bank Arena for Hawks v Kings — and the off-court collapse that followed.

Then it’s onto Sydney’s rise to the top of the ladder, a Grand Final showdown with Perth, and how COVID forced the Kings to withdraw from Game 4, ending the series with the Wildcats crowned champions. Finally, we trace the financial collapse in Wollongong — including $2 million in debt and unpaid staff — and how the NBL handed the licence to new ownership led by Dorry Kordahi, beginning a complete rebuild of the franchise.

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Featuring first-hand accounts, game recaps, and front-office drama, this episode explores the arrival of Andrew Bogut, LaMelo’s rise to superstardom, Sydney’s firepower under Ware and Tate, and the identity crisis that saw the NBL remove “Illawarra” from the Hawks’ name — all before Brian Goorjian returned to take charge and lead a new era of competition.

Listen now:

iTunes – Spotify – Libsyn – TuneIn

Podcast topics include…

  • 2018 sees the arrival of Andrew Bogut (03:30)
  • LaMelo Ball makes his NBL debut and drives millions of eyeballs to the league (10:30)
  • The record-breaking Qudos Bank Arena game draws 17,514 fans (12:30)
  • The Kings reload with Ware, Tate, Bogut and dominate the regular season at 20–8 (29:00)
  • Sydney forfeit the Grand Final to Perth with COVID looming (29:00)
  • Illawarra collapse due to over $2 million in debt and Dorry Kordahi and Brian Goorjian rebuild the Hawks (32:30)
  • The NBL removes ‘Illawarra’ from the Hawks’ name (34:30)
  • Brian Goorjian on swapping sides from the Kings to the Hawks (55:00)
  • Spy-Gate: The Kings point the finger at Sydney for spying on their practices (1:13:00)

All of this and a whole lot more…

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