BIO: Brad Sheridan was born in Melbourne (VIC) and grew up in the nearby suburb of Boronia. He later began playing basketball as a junior with the Knox basketball program. Sheridan received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1996. He spent three years year there and played for the program’s state league team (1996, 1997, 1998).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Brad Sheridan made his NBL debut with the Victoria Titans at 18 years of age. He scored six points in his first game.

1998/99
With the NBL moving to a summer schedule, the South East Melbourne Magic and North Melbourne Giants merged to form the Victoria Titans, leaving Giants coach Brett Brown without a position and Australian representative Pat Reidy without a place on the combined roster.

Brian Goorjian was retained as head coach and brought together Darryl McDonald (via North Melbourne), Ben Pepper (via North Melbourne), David Smith (via North Melbourne) and Paul Maley (via North Melbourne) with Jason Smith (via South East Melbourne), Frank Drmic (via South East Melbourne), Brett Wheeler (via South East Melbourne), Mike Kelly (via South East Melbourne) and Tony Ronaldson (via South East Melbourne), while 18-year-old guard Brad Sheridan (via Australian Institute of Sport) joined the new club.

Victoria opened its inaugural season against Melbourne on 9 October, where Brad Sheridan (6 points) made his NBL debut at 18 as the Titans lost 99-80 to the Tigers.

Sheridan (1.9 points) appeared in nine games during his rookie season. His six points on opening night remained his season-high.

The Titans began 2-2 as the merged group adjusted to playing together, but quickly developed into a championship contender and finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak. Victoria finished its first regular season in fourth place with a 16-10 record, including a 10-3 mark at home.

Ronaldson (16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) and Pepper (12.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks) became Victoria’s two leading offensive players, with Ronaldson appointed captain and Pepper leading the team in rebounding and blocks.

Other key contributors included Jason Smith (11.2 points and 4.1 rebounds), McDonald (11.1 points, 5 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.4 steals), Wheeler (11 points and 5.9 rebounds), Drmic (10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds), Kelly (10.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals) and Maley (7.2 points).

Ronaldson was named the Titans’ club MVP, while McDonald led the NBL in assists and steals.

Victoria opened the qualifying finals at Melbourne Park with a 96-65 win over Wollongong, with Pepper (16 points) leading the Titans, while Glen Saville (10 points) and David Andersen (7 points) were best for the Hawks.

Game two moved to Wollongong, where Victoria defeated the Hawks 91-82 to complete the sweep and move into the semifinals.

The semifinal series opened at Melbourne Park, where Ronaldson (17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Maley (16 points) led Victoria, while Marcus Timmons (31 points and 9 rebounds) starred for Melbourne as the Titans won 80-77.

Game two remained at Melbourne Park, where Kelly (19 points and 7 rebounds) and Pepper (15 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) led Victoria, while Lanard Copeland (29 points) carried Melbourne as the Titans completed the sweep with a 94-87 win.

The Grand Final opened in Melbourne, where Brett Maher (31 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Darnell Mee (25 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) led Adelaide, while McDonald (23 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals), Ronaldson (19 points) and Pepper (18 points) led Victoria as the 36ers won 104-94.

Game two moved to Adelaide, where Ronaldson (22 points), Wheeler (18 points and 9 rebounds), Jason Smith (15 points and 6 rebounds) and McDonald (12 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists) led Victoria to an 88-82 win, while Maher (25 points), Kevin Brooks (12 points) and Martin Cattalini (12 points) led Adelaide.

Game three remained in Adelaide, where Cattalini (19 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks), Maher (15 points and 7 rebounds) and Brooks (13 points and 6 rebounds) led the 36ers, while Pepper (15 points), Ronaldson (15 points and 6 rebounds), Wheeler (8 points and 7 rebounds) and McDonald (4 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) led Victoria. Sheridan (0 points) appeared from the bench, with Maher named Grand Final MVP as Adelaide defeated the Titans 80-69.

1999/00
After losing the previous season’s Grand Final to Adelaide, Victoria released Paul Maley (to Adelaide) and Mike Kelly (to Townsville), while Jason Smith, Tony Ronaldson, Darryl McDonald, Frank Drmic, Brett Wheeler and Ben Pepper returned from the previous season’s group.

Head coach Brian Goorjian added Nathan Taylor (via North Melbourne) and elevated development player Glen Siegle to the full roster as the Titans again targeted the championship with a younger bench behind their experienced core.

Victoria’s first road game came against West Sydney, where Sheridan (3 points and 1 assist) appeared in the rotation as the Titans lost 104-78. Drmic (20 points and 8 rebounds), Pepper (12 points) and Wheeler (10 points and 10 rebounds) led Victoria, while John Rillie (36 points and 9 rebounds) and Derek Rucker (29 points and 5 assists) carried the Razorbacks.

Sheridan (2.6 points) entered his second NBL season after spending three years at the Australian Institute of Sport, giving Victoria another developing wing behind its experienced perimeter group.

Sheridan’s best game came on 21 January against Sydney, where Sheridan (16 points and 1 steal) shot 6-of-7 from the field and 4-of-5 from three as Victoria defeated the Kings 106-75. Wheeler (20 points and 8 rebounds), Smith (19 points and 7 rebounds) and Drmic (17 points and 5 rebounds) also led the Titans, while Kevin Brooks (20 points), Matthew Nielsen (14 points and 10 rebounds) and Scott McGregor (12 points and 6 rebounds) were best for Sydney.

On 9 March, Sheridan (8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 2 steals) made two three-pointers as Victoria defeated Canberra 118-87. Smith (23 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists), Wheeler (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Ronaldson (18 points, 2 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Titans, while Randy Rutherford (20 points and 8 rebounds) and Damien Ryan (15 points) led Canberra.

Victoria closed the regular season with an 87-80 road win over Sydney, where Sheridan (6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) made two three-pointers and provided one of his strongest all-around games of the season. Drmic (18 points and 7 rebounds), Pepper (14 points and 8 rebounds) and Smith (12 points) led Victoria, while Derek Moore (20 points, 13 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks), Kendrick Johnson (19 points and 5 rebounds) and Aaron Trahair (12 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists) led the Kings.

The win left Victoria fourth with a 20-8 record, including an 11-3 mark at Melbourne Park.

Smith (17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) and Ronaldson (16 points and 5.4 rebounds) became Victoria’s two leading offensive players, with Smith producing a breakout season and being named Titans club MVP.

Other key contributors included McDonald (13.8 points, 4 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 2.5 steals), Drmic (13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds), Wheeler (11.9 points and 7.7 rebounds) and Pepper (10.4 points and 6 rebounds), giving the Titans six players who averaged in double figures.

McDonald led the NBL in assists and steals, while Smith was selected to the All-NBL Second Team and McDonald earned All-NBL Third Team honours.

Victoria opened the elimination finals at Melbourne Park, where Melbourne defeated the Titans 101-94 to take game one.

Game two remained at Melbourne Park, where Victoria answered with a 78-70 win behind Ronaldson (25 points) and McDonald (17 points and 6 assists), while Lanard Copeland (18 points) and Mark Bradtke (14 points) led Melbourne.

Game three saw Victoria defeat Melbourne 105-96 behind McDonald (29 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals), while Andrew Gaze (30 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists) led the Tigers but committed seven turnovers.

The semifinal series opened in Melbourne, where Ronaldson (26 points and 5 rebounds) and McDonald (24 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks) led Victoria to a 101-86 win over Adelaide.

Game two moved to Adelaide, where Martin Cattalini (24 points and 7 rebounds) and Darnell Mee (22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals) carried the 36ers to a 95-72 win, while Ronaldson (17 points and 5 rebounds), Drmic (14 points and 3 rebounds) and Smith (13 points and 3 rebounds) led Victoria.

Game three remained in Adelaide, where McDonald (24 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) led Victoria, while Mee (22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) was best for the 36ers as the Titans won 93-89 and advanced to the Grand Final.

The Grand Final opened at Melbourne Park, where Paul Rogers (24 points and 20 rebounds) shot 10-of-16 from the field as Perth defeated Victoria 84-78.

Game two moved to the Perth Entertainment Centre, where Marcus Timmons (27 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals) shot 9-of-15 from the field as the Wildcats defeated the Titans 83-76 to win the championship, with Timmons named Grand Final MVP.

2000/01
After losing the previous season’s Grand Final to Perth, Victoria lost Frank Drmic (to Sydney), Nathan Taylor (to Melbourne) and David Smith, while Jason Smith, Tony Ronaldson, Darryl McDonald, Brett Wheeler and Ben Pepper returned from the previous season’s group.

Head coach Brian Goorjian brought Chris Anstey (via Chicago) back to Australia following three seasons in the NBA, replaced David Smith with his older brother Darren Smith and signed Mark Dickel (via UNLV). Dickel occupied an import position because New Zealand players were not considered local players in the NBL until 2003.

Victoria opened the season with a 95-80 road win over Brisbane, where Sheridan (2 assists) began the year as part of Goorjian’s bench rotation.

Still only 20 years old and entering his third NBL season after spending three years at the Australian Institute of Sport, Sheridan (6 points) moved into a larger role and gave Victoria additional size, outside shooting and defensive coverage on the wing.

Anstey (16.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2 blocks) returned a vastly improved player, although Goorjian used him from the bench behind Wheeler (13 points and 8 rebounds) as the Titans again operated with two proven centres.

On 12 January, Sheridan (12 points, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) helped Victoria crush Sydney 128-92 at the Sydney SuperDome, making half of his field-goal attempts and both free throws as the Titans scored 128 points on the road.

Sheridan’s best game came on 2 February against Melbourne, where Sheridan (16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) provided one of his strongest all-around performances as Victoria edged the Tigers 86-84.

On 9 March, Sheridan (10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) made both of his three-point attempts as Victoria defeated Melbourne 133-124, giving the Titans another productive performance from the wing during their run towards the minor premiership.

Injuries to Pepper (4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds), Anstey and Darren Smith (6.6 points and 3.7 rebounds) led to development players Marcus Wright and Pero Vasiljevic being elevated to the full roster during the season.

Victoria closed the regular season with a 113-98 home win over Adelaide, where Sheridan (4 points and 4 rebounds) provided another contribution from the bench as the Titans finished first with a franchise-best 22-6 record.

Jason Smith (20.5 points and 5.4 rebounds) and Anstey became Victoria’s two leading offensive players, with Smith producing the highest-scoring season of his career and Anstey providing scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking from the bench.

Other key contributors included Ronaldson (16.3 points and 5.7 rebounds), McDonald (15.4 points, 5 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 2.7 steals), Dickel (13.2 points and 5.1 assists) and Wheeler, giving Victoria six players who averaged at least 13 points.

Anstey was named Titans MVP and NBL Sixth Man of the Year, Smith was selected to the All-NBL First Team and McDonald earned All-NBL Third Team honours.

Victoria opened the qualifying finals in Adelaide with a 101-96 win behind Anstey (27 points and 16 rebounds), Wheeler (18 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks) and McDonald (13 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists), while Kevin Brooks (24 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists), Brett Maher (19 points and 6 assists) and Darnell Mee (18 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks) led Adelaide. Sheridan (1 assist) appeared briefly from the bench.

Game two moved to Melbourne, where Adelaide answered with a 96-83 win behind Brooks (34 points and 9 rebounds), Maher (24 points and 5 assists) and Mee (12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals), while Ronaldson (22 points and 7 rebounds), Wheeler (12 points and 11 rebounds) and Sheridan (7 points and 2 steals) led Victoria.

Game three remained in Melbourne, where Adelaide won 115-103 to take the series 2-1, with Brooks (25 points and 7 rebounds per game) and Mee (22 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists per game) having driven the 36ers across the three games. Victoria still advanced as the highest-placed losing team from the qualifying finals.

The semifinal series opened in Melbourne, where Ronaldson (22 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and McDonald (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Victoria to a 106-97 win over Townsville.

Game two moved to Townsville, where Goodwin (19 points and 11 rebounds), Reidy (19 points and 4 assists) and Robert Rose (19 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists) led the Crocodiles to a 98-82 win. Sheridan (17 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) and Ronaldson (17 points and 8 rebounds) top-scored for Victoria, while Anstey (2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block) suffered an injury early in the game and missed the remainder of the series.

Game three remained in Townsville, where Dickel (33 points and 4 assists), McDonald (19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals), Darren Smith (15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) and Sheridan (8 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal) led Victoria, while Goodwin (23 points), Rose (20 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals) and Mike Kelly (17 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) carried Townsville to a 101-97 win.

SYDNEY KINGS
2002/03
After finishing eighth and missing the playoffs, Sydney lost Frank Drmic (to Europe), Isaac Burton, Derek Moore, James Smith and Stephen Whitehead, while Shane Heal, Matthew Nielsen, Ben Melmeth, Travis Lane, Michael Kingma and BJ Carter returned from the previous season’s group.

Brett Brown had done much of the off-season work before accepting a NBA role with the San Antonio Spurs, leaving Brian Goorjian to arrive from Victoria and bring in David Stiff (via Adelaide), Brad Sheridan (via Victoria), rookie Gary Boodnikoff and import duo Chris Williams and Kavossy Franklin.

Sydney opened with a 96-88 road win over Townsville and a 110-88 win in Cairns before quickly returning home, with Sheridan (7.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) giving Goorjian another long guard-forward he had already coached in Victoria after Sheridan had come through the Australian Institute of Sport and the Titans system.

Sheridan’s best game came on 23 October against Townsville, where Sheridan (24 points) top-scored as Sydney crushed the Crocodiles 120-75, with Williams (20 points) and Heal (16 points) also scoring strongly while Pat Reidy (18 points) and Robert Rose (18 points) led Townsville.

The Kings moved to the top of the ladder quickly, and Sheridan’s role settled around defensive pressure, rebounding at the wing spot and giving Sydney another reliable perimeter option around Williams, Heal, Franklin and Nielsen.

Sydney closed the regular season by beating defending champion Adelaide 114-99, with Sheridan (11 points and 7 rebounds) providing a strong two-way finish while Heal (41 points) and Williams (29 points and 11 rebounds) led the offence, and Charles Thomas (19 points), Brett Maher (19 points) and Martin Cattalini (19 points) led Adelaide.

The win gave Sydney its first minor premiership, with the Kings finishing first with a 22-8 record and entering the playoffs with home-court advantage after being outside the postseason the year before.

Williams (23.6 points, 12.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks) and Heal (20 points and 6 assists) became Sydney’s two leading offensive players, giving Goorjian an import scorer who could control games and a local guard who could still change a result with his shooting.

Other key contributors included Franklin (17.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists), Nielsen (15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2 blocks), Melmeth (9 points and 5.5 rebounds), Stiff (5.1 points and 4.9 rebounds) and Boodnikoff (4.1 points).

Williams was named NBL MVP and All-NBL First Team, Heal joined him on the All-NBL First Team, Nielsen was named to the All-NBL Second Team, Franklin made the All-NBL Third Team and Boodnikoff won Rookie of the Year.

Sydney opened the playoffs against Melbourne with a 101-89 win, with Heal (25 points), Franklin (19 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Stiff (18 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks) leading the Kings, while Andrew Gaze (21 points) led the Tigers.

Game two moved to Sydney, where Melbourne won 108-104 behind Gaze (25 points), Lanard Copeland (22 points) and Mark Bradtke (21 points), while Williams (32 points), Nielsen (21 points) and Franklin (16 points) led Sydney.

With the series returning to Sydney, the Kings won game three 114-89 behind Williams (25 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks), while Stephen Hoare (15 points and 12 rebounds) was best for Melbourne.

Sydney then opened the semifinals in Townsville with a 124-107 win after trailing by three points at half-time, with Williams (26 points), Nielsen (25 points), Franklin (25 points) and Sheridan (7 assists) helping the Kings take control, while Reidy (29 points) led the Crocodiles.

Game two moved to Sydney, where Townsville kept the series alive with a 113-91 win, with Nielsen (31 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) leading the Kings, while Andrew Goodwin (22 points), Reidy (22 points) and Wayne Turner (22 points) led Townsville.

Game three stayed in Sydney, where the Kings defeated Townsville 114-99 behind Heal (31 points) and Williams (31 points), while Peter Crawford (25 points), Goodwin (16 points) and Turner (16 points) led the Crocodiles.

The Grand Final opened in Sydney, where the Kings came back from 14 points down in the final six minutes to defeat Perth 98-94, with Williams (26 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 steals) leading Sydney and Nielsen (15 points) scoring the game-winning basket, while Ricky Grace (15 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists) recorded a triple-double for Perth.

Game two moved to Perth, where Sydney led 22-15 after quarter-time and pushed the margin to 28 by half-time before defeating the Wildcats 117-101 behind Williams (24 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists), Heal (23 points) and Nielsen (21 points), while Rob Feaster (40 points), Grace (24 points) and Brett Wheeler (14 points) led Perth as Sydney secured the club’s first NBL championship and the first of three straight titles Sheridan would win with the Kings.

2003/04
After winning the club’s first NBL championship, Sydney lost Shane Heal (to San Antonio), Chris Williams (to overseas), Kavossy Franklin (to overseas), Ben Melmeth (to New Zealand), Travis Lane (to Perth), Michael Kingma (to Hunter) and Gary Boodnikoff (to Victoria), while Matthew Nielsen, David Stiff, Brad Sheridan and BJ Carter returned from the previous season’s group.

Head coach Brian Goorjian rebuilt around the remaining championship core by adding CJ Bruton, Ebi Ere, Jason Smith (via Europe), Brett Wheeler (via Perth), Luke Martin, Graeme Dann, David Barlow, Adrian Bauk and Joe Brown as the Kings looked to defend their title without the import duo and local star who had driven the breakthrough season.

Sydney opened the season in Perth with a 114-95 win over the Wildcats, beginning a ten-game winning run, and Sheridan (7.9 points) played all 40 games in his second Kings season after coming through Boronia, Knox, the AIS and Goorjian’s Victoria system before becoming part of Sydney’s three-peat core.

Sheridan’s best game came on 31 October against Townsville, where Sheridan (17 points) gave Sydney another scoring option as the Kings defeated the Crocodiles 113-86 and continued their unbeaten start.

On 12 November, Sheridan (7 points and 1 steal) contributed again in a 90-69 win over Cairns, helping Sydney keep the Taipans to its lowest score of the early season as the Kings continued to build around depth, defence and balance.

Sydney’s first loss came against Wollongong on 19 November, but the Kings remained on top of the ladder through the middle of the season, even after Smith (11.5 points and 4.7 rebounds) was lost to a season-ending injury after 13 games and replaced by import Chris Carrawell.

Sydney closed the regular season with a 94-93 road loss to Brisbane, but still finished first with a 26-7 record, giving the Kings the league’s best record and home-court advantage for the playoffs.

Nielsen (22.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks) and Ere (19.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) became Sydney’s two leading scorers, with Nielsen taking over as the club’s first option and Ere giving the Kings another import scorer after Williams and Franklin had exited.

Other key contributors included Bruton (16.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals), Carrawell (13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks), Stiff (8.5 points and 6.6 rebounds), Wheeler (8.3 points and 7.9 rebounds) and Luke Martin (5.3 points).

Nielsen was named NBL MVP, Grand Final MVP, All-NBL First Team and won the league scoring title, while Ere was named NBL All-Star Game MVP and Goorjian was named Coach of the Month for October.

Sydney opened the semifinals at the Sydney Entertainment Centre with a 104-100 win over Brisbane, with Nielsen (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Bruton (21 points) leading the Kings, while Ben Castle (20 points), Derek Rucker (20 points) and Stephen Black (18 points) led the Bullets.

Game two moved to Brisbane, where Sydney completed the sweep with a 101-96 win over the Bullets to move into its second straight Grand Final series.

The Grand Final series opened in Sydney, where the Kings defeated West Sydney 96-76 behind Bruton (35 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists), while Simon Dwight (23 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks) led the Razorbacks.

Game two moved to the State Sports Centre, where West Sydney answered with a 87-72 win behind John Rillie (18 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists), Aaron Trahair (17 points) and Sam Mackinnon (15 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks), while Ere (17 points), Stiff (13 points and 7 rebounds) and Bruton (13 points) led Sydney.

Game three returned to Sydney, where West Sydney took a 2-1 series lead after a 82-80 overtime win, with Rillie (18 points), Dwight (17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks) and Mackinnon (14 points, 17 rebounds, and 6 assists) leading the Razorbacks.

Sydney forced the series back to a deciding game after winning game four 82-77 at the State Sports Centre, despite Rillie (31 points) keeping West Sydney within reach.

Game five returned to the Sydney Entertainment Centre, where Sydney defeated West Sydney 90-79 behind Ere (25 points), Wheeler (18 points and 11 rebounds), Nielsen (14 points and 12 rebounds) and Bruton (15 points), while Trahair (20 points), Dwight (18 points) and Rillie (12 points and 10 rebounds) led the Razorbacks as the Kings secured back-to-back championships.

2004/05
The 2004/05 season was a historic one for the Sydney Kings, as they became the first team in NBL history to win three consecutive championships.

Captain Jason Smith (19.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals) led the team offensively, setting the tone with his leadership, defensive intensity, and ability to step up in clutch moments.

He was supported by a strong core, including import duo Mark Sanford (16.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists), Rolan Roberts (16.4 points, 9.1 rebounds), C.J. Bruton (16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists), and Ben Knight (13.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists).

Brad Sheridan played a crucial role in Sydney’s championship run, contributing solid two-way play while averaging 8.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.

A reliable perimeter shooter and defender, Sheridan provided key contributions throughout the season.

Sheridan delivered several standout performances throughout the season, proving his value as a versatile role player.

On October 10 against the New Zealand Breakers, he recorded 13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in an all-around effort.

On December 31 against Adelaide, he scored a season-high 19 points, hitting three three-pointers and adding 3 rebounds and 5 assists.

Another key performance came on January 9 against Cairns, where he put up 13 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting, including three from deep.

Twelve games into the season, rookie Luke Kendall (12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists) suffered an ACL injury, causing him to miss the remainder of the season.

Under head coach Brian Goorjian, the Kings continued their dominance, finishing atop the regular season standings with a 21-11 record.

The Kings opened the playoffs by defeating the Brisbane Bullets in Game 1 (113-79), with seven players scoring in double figures.

Jason Smith (16 points), Rolan Roberts (16 points), Brad Sheridan (16 points), Ben Knight (15 points), CJ Bruton (14 points), David Barlow (12 points), and Mark Sanford (12 points) all contributed to the commanding win.

Sydney closed out the series with a 111-105 victory in Game 2, led by big performances from Smith (24 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Ben Knight (22 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists).

Sheridan also played a key role in the win, contributing 7 points, 1 assist, and 1 steal.

The Grand Final series saw Sydney dominate the Illawarra Hawks across three straight games, completing one of the most commanding championship runs in NBL history.

Smith (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists) led the way in the Kings’ Game 1 victory (96-73).

Sheridan was a key contributor, adding 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals while hitting 50% from the field.

In Game 2, Sydney secured a 105-80 win on the Hawks’ home court, with CJ Bruton finishing as the game-high scorer with 26 points.

Sheridan played a key supporting role, adding 5 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds in a solid defensive effort.

Although Game 3 was close after the first quarter, the Kings outscored the Hawks 38-21 in the second quarter and never looked back.

Jason Smith delivered the best playoff game of his career, scoring 38 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to take home Grand Final MVP honors.

Sheridan contributed 14 points on 57% shooting from the field, including four three-pointers, providing valuable scoring off the bench.

With their 3-0 Grand Final series win, the Kings cemented themselves as one of the greatest teams in NBL history, becoming the first team to ever complete a three-peat.

Their combination of leadership, talent, and depth made them an unstoppable force, with Jason Smith, C.J. Bruton, Mark Sanford, and the supporting cast all playing vital roles in Sydney’s championship run.

Sheridan’s consistent contributions on both ends of the floor proved crucial to the Kings’ success, solidifying his role as a key piece in the historic three-peat.

2003/04
After winning the club’s first NBL championship, Sydney lost Shane Heal (to San Antonio), Chris Williams (to overseas), Kavossy Franklin (to overseas), Ben Melmeth (to New Zealand), Travis Lane (to Perth), Michael Kingma (to Hunter) and Gary Boodnikoff (to Victoria), while Matthew Nielsen, David Stiff, Brad Sheridan and BJ Carter returned from the previous season’s group.

Head coach Brian Goorjian rebuilt around the remaining championship core by adding CJ Bruton, Ebi Ere, Jason Smith (via Europe), Brett Wheeler (via Perth), Luke Martin, Graeme Dann, David Barlow, Adrian Bauk and Joe Brown as the Kings looked to defend their title without the import duo and local star who had driven the breakthrough season.

Sydney opened the season in Perth with a 114-95 win over the Wildcats, beginning a ten-game winning run, and Sheridan (7.9 points) played all 40 games in his second Kings season after coming through Boronia, Knox, the AIS and Goorjian’s Victoria system before becoming part of Sydney’s three-peat core.

Sheridan’s best game came on 31 October against Townsville, where Sheridan (17 points) gave Sydney another scoring option as the Kings defeated the Crocodiles 113-86 and continued their unbeaten start.

On 12 November, Sheridan (7 points and 1 steal) contributed again in a 90-69 win over Cairns, helping Sydney keep the Taipans to its lowest score of the early season as the Kings continued to build around depth, defence and balance.

Sydney’s first loss came against Wollongong on 19 November, but the Kings remained on top of the ladder through the middle of the season, even after Smith (11.5 points and 4.7 rebounds) was lost to a season-ending injury after 13 games and replaced by import Chris Carrawell.

Sydney closed the regular season with a 94-93 road loss to Brisbane, but still finished first with a 26-7 record, giving the Kings the league’s best record and home-court advantage for the playoffs.

Nielsen (22.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks) and Ere (19.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) became Sydney’s two leading scorers, with Nielsen taking over as the club’s first option and Ere giving the Kings another import scorer after Williams and Franklin had exited.

Other key contributors included Bruton (16.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals), Carrawell (13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks), Stiff (8.5 points and 6.6 rebounds), Wheeler (8.3 points and 7.9 rebounds) and Luke Martin (5.3 points).

Nielsen was named NBL MVP, Grand Final MVP, All-NBL First Team and won the league scoring title, while Ere was named NBL All-Star Game MVP and Goorjian was named Coach of the Month for October.

Sydney opened the semifinals at the Sydney Entertainment Centre with a 104-100 win over Brisbane, with Nielsen (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Bruton (21 points) leading the Kings, while Ben Castle (20 points), Derek Rucker (20 points) and Stephen Black (18 points) led the Bullets.

Game two moved to Brisbane, where Sydney completed the sweep with a 101-96 win over the Bullets to move into its second straight Grand Final series.

The Grand Final series opened in Sydney, where the Kings defeated West Sydney 96-76 behind Bruton (35 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists), while Simon Dwight (23 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks) led the Razorbacks.

Game two moved to the State Sports Centre, where West Sydney answered with a 87-72 win behind John Rillie (18 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists), Aaron Trahair (17 points) and Sam Mackinnon (15 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks), while Ere (17 points), Stiff (13 points and 7 rebounds) and Bruton (13 points) led Sydney.

Game three returned to Sydney, where West Sydney took a 2-1 series lead after a 82-80 overtime win, with Rillie (18 points), Dwight (17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks) and Mackinnon (14 points, 17 rebounds, and 6 assists) leading the Razorbacks.

Sydney forced the series back to a deciding game after winning game four 82-77 at the State Sports Centre, despite Rillie (31 points) keeping West Sydney within reach.

Game five returned to the Sydney Entertainment Centre, where Sydney defeated West Sydney 90-79 behind Ere (25 points), Wheeler (18 points and 11 rebounds), Nielsen (14 points and 12 rebounds) and Bruton (15 points), while Trahair (20 points), Dwight (18 points) and Rillie (12 points and 10 rebounds) led the Razorbacks as the Kings secured back-to-back championships.