BIO: Dejan Vasiljevic was born in Calgary, Alberta (Canada) before moving with his family to Australia. He spent his teenage years in Melbourne, playing his junior basketball with the Diamond Valley Eagles. Vasiljevic received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2014. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (2014, 2015).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Dejan Vasiljevic made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 23 years of age. He scored 15 points in his first game.

2020/21
Sydney faced a significant roster overhaul after finishing runners-up to Perth in the COVID-shortened 2020 Grand Final series. The team had to recover from the loss of All-NBL First Team forward Jae’Sean Tate and head coach Will Weaver, who both signed contracts with the NBA’s Houston Rockets, while veterans Kevin Lisch, Andrew Bogut, and Lucas Walker all retired. Kings assistant Adam Forde stepped in as head coach after being with the organisation since 2019, replacing the outgoing talent with import Jarell Martin, Angus Glover (via Illawarra), and rookie Dejan Vasiljevic (via the University of Miami). During the pre-season, the Kings lost forward Xavier Cooks to a foot injury and signed Tom Vodanovich (via New Zealand) as an injury replacement just before their season opener. The injury setbacks continued when Angus Glover tore his ACL, sidelining him for all but two games of the season.

As the season commenced, the Kings relied heavily on their young core to fill the void left by departing veterans, leading to early struggles. They lost three of their first four games, leaving them at the bottom of the ladder in seventh place. Mid-season, the league moved all teams to Melbourne for the NBL Cup, a tournament designed to mitigate COVID-related travel issues. During the Cup, Sydney found some form, going 4-4, and continued to build momentum with consecutive home wins after the tournament, climbing into the top four by Round 12.

Co-captain Casper Ware (17.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists) and Jarell Martin (17.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) became the focal points on offense, with Martin’s best game coming against New Zealand, where he scored 29 points. Dejan Vasiljevic (15.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) quickly became a key piece in the rotation, making an immediate impact in his rookie season. Meanwhile, Jordan Hunter (9.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks) established himself as a vital player, finishing runner-up in the Most Improved Player voting. Vasiljevic’s contributions earned him the NBL Rookie of the Year award, and Xavier Cooks (10.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 blocks) also showcased his potential, including a career-high 19 points and 11 rebounds against the Hawks in Round 21.

Sydney’s main limitations during the season were their perimeter shooting, where they were tied with Illawarra for the worst three-point shooting percentage in the league (33.4%), and their road form, losing 50% of their games away from home. With four rounds remaining, Sydney was entrenched in the top four, but a stretch of five losses in seven games, including two blowout losses by over 20 points, caused them to fall out of contention. Despite finishing the season on a three-game winning streak, Sydney finished fifth with a 19-17 record, narrowly missing out on a playoff spot.

2021/22
In 2021, the Sydney Kings appointed unproven US coach Chase Buford, son of San Antonio Spurs mastermind RC Buford, as head coach. Buford inherited a strong core in Xavier Cooks, Jarell Martin, and Dejan Vasiljevic and added former NBA talent Jaylen Adams and fellow import RJ Hunter to the roster.

The coaching change, along with early-season injuries to RJ Hunter (who played only one game), Adams (who missed a third of the season), and young big man Jordan Hunter (who missed the entire season), led to a slow start for the Kings. After a stretch in January where the Kings lost four straight games, Adams returned to the lineup, and the team also brought in former NBA player Ian Clark, a former teammate of Kings co-owner Andrew Bogut. From that point, the Kings’ fortunes turned around.

Vasiljevic contributed 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game as the Kings went on a remarkable run, winning 13 consecutive games to close out the regular season.

In the semifinals, Sydney faced Brian Goorjian’s Illawarra Hawks and comfortably defeated them in two straight games. Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, the debuting Tasmania JackJumpers, who were lucky to even make the playoffs, upset Melbourne United in three games. Tasmania had finished fifth in the standings but qualified for the playoffs due to points percentage after South East Melbourne beat Perth in the final game of the regular season.

In the Grand Final series, Sydney continued their dominance, defeating Tasmania (95-78) in the opening game. Adams, who had been named the NBL MVP just a week earlier, scored 18 points in the win but suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the series.

In game two, Tasmania’s Josh Adams exploded for 36 points in front of a sellout crowd, but strong performances from captain Xavier Cooks, Jarell Martin (both with 20 points, with Martin shooting 80% from the field), and Dejan Vasiljevic sealed the win for the Kings (90-86). Vasiljevic nailed a long-range dagger in the closing minutes to clinch the victory, extending Sydney’s road winning streak to 12 games – the most away wins in a single NBL season.

Dejan Vasiljevic with the 𝘿𝘼𝙂𝙂𝙀𝙍 🗡️
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– 📺 Watch the #NBLFinals Live on ESPN pic.twitter.com/XDIgoHVKo9

— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) May 8, 2022

Cooks was named Finals MVP after averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists across the three games, and at 33 years old, Buford became the fourth-youngest championship-winning coach in NBL history. Only Bob Turner (1983), Ken Richardson (1982), and Jim Ericksen (1981) won championships at a younger age, with two of them serving as player-coaches.

17 years in the making 💜💛#WeTheKings #NBL22 pic.twitter.com/Wz7uIGjTr6

— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) May 14, 2022

2022/23
After winning the championship, the Sydney Kings faced significant changes to their roster, losing their star import trio of Jaylen Adams, Jarrell Martin, and Ian Clark to more lucrative overseas deals. To revamp their team, Sydney decided to focus on their local talent, such as the improved Xavier Cooks, Dejan Vasiljevic, and Angus Glover, while bringing in imports to complement the Australian core. Derrick Walton Jr was signed to replace Adams’ scoring, while sharpshooting centre Tim Soares (via Europe) and former Defensive Player of the Year Justin Simon (via Illawarra) joined the team as the new import trio. Kouat Noi (via Cairns) was also added after Makur Maker left for the NBA, and rookie Jackson Makoi rounded out the roster.

Sydney kicked off their campaign for back-to-back titles with wins over Illawarra, Brisbane, and Melbourne, going 3-0. The 20-point win over Melbourne (91-71) was especially impressive, featuring a 25-0 run in the second quarter where the Kings held United to just six points. This victory extended Sydney’s road winning streak to 15, setting a new NBL record, surpassing the mark set by Canberra’s back-to-back championship teams of the mid-1980s.

The Kings’ unbeaten streak ended in their next game, an upset loss to the Cairns Taipans (83-78). Despite missing star Tahjere McCall, Cairns played tough defense and capitalized on Sydney’s poor free-throw shooting (14/25). Shannon Scott (16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) and DJ Hogg (15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) led the Taipans, while Vasiljevic contributed 20 points for the Kings, and Cooks (15 points, 8 rebounds) and Walton Jr (14 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) provided solid efforts.

Sydney bounced back with another road win over Brisbane but suffered another home loss to the Adelaide 36ers (92-88), who had just returned from beating the NBA’s Phoenix Suns in a preseason game. Adelaide’s Craig Randall II (24 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) led all scorers, while Walton Jr contributed 23 points, and Vasiljevic added 15 for the Kings.

Round five saw Sydney narrowly avoid a third consecutive home defeat when Kouat Noi hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to defeat his former team, Cairns (106-103). Cooks nearly recorded a triple-double (18 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists), helping cement the Kings’ spot at the top of the ladder (8-2).

In a highly anticipated first-vs-second matchup against the New Zealand Breakers, Sydney survived a last-quarter comeback to win (81-77). However, the Kings lost Walton Jr to an ankle injury in the first half, and Cooks also injured his ankle, sidelining him for three weeks, including missing the Australian Boomers’ World Cup Qualifier against Kazakhstan.

Without head coach Chase Buford, who was suspended for misconduct, assistant coach Kevin Lisch stepped in as Sydney cruised to a 97-77 win over the Tasmania JackJumpers, dominating inside the paint and shooting a season-high 69% from the field.

Sydney then recorded their biggest-ever franchise win, a 49-point blowout against Brisbane (116-67), which set a new margin record for the 40-minute era.

Though New Zealand and Cairns battled for second place, Sydney finished the regular season on top (19-9), with Xavier Cooks winning NBL MVP (16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists), beating out Bryce Cotton and Mitch Creek. Vasiljevic averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on the season.

Sydney faced Cairns in the semi-finals after the Taipans defeated Perth in the play-in tournament (91-78). Cooks’ 27 points and 14 rebounds led Sydney to a game one win (95-87), but Cairns bounced back to win game two (93-82) in a chaotic contest marked by multiple hard fouls and the ejection of coach Buford. DJ Hogg (25 points) and Tahjere McCall (20 points) spearheaded the win for the Taipans.

In game three, Vasiljevic (15 points, 5 rebounds) stepped up, hitting three key three-pointers to lead the Kings to a series-clinching victory (79-64), with Cooks and Noi contributing double-doubles (11 points and 11 rebounds each).

In the championship series, Sydney faced New Zealand. The Breakers shocked the Kings in game one (95-87) in front of 13,145 fans, with William McDowell-White (19 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists) starring. Walton Jr suffered an injury and played limited minutes for the rest of the series.

Sydney tied the series in game two, despite minimal contributions from Walton Jr (4:50 minutes) and Cooks (9:05 minutes). Simon’s all-around play (12 points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals) and Noi’s 20-point effort helped the Kings win (91-68).

In front of a record NBL crowd of 18,049 at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney took a 2-1 series lead, with Walton Jr (12 points, 9 assists) and Cooks (10 points, 8 rebounds) back in form. The Breakers struggled offensively, shooting just 36% from the field.

New Zealand won game four (80-70), forcing a deciding game five behind Brantley (23 points) and McDowell-White (19 points).

Game five saw the Kings close out the series in front of another record-setting crowd of 18,124. Walton Jr (21 points, 6 assists) earned Championship Series MVP honours, while Cooks added 19 points and 11 rebounds in the 77-69 win.

With a combined 67,811 fans attending the Championship Series, it set a new NBL record for Grand Final attendance.

It was the last game of the season, and it delivered all sorts of drama.

Re-live the best bits thanks to @HungryJacksAU ⤵ pic.twitter.com/KxOiNZnVDW

— NBL (@NBL) March 15, 2023

Prior to NBL24, Vasiljevic was granted a release from the Kings to pursue opportunities overseas. “It was a difficult decision, but after winning two championships at my age, an opportunity overseas was hard to pass up,” Vasiljevic said, expressing gratitude to the Kings organisation for their support.

Dejan Vasiljevic currently plays for the Adelaide 36ers and has played 134 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 15.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists since entering the league in 2021.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Adelaide 36ers – 3 Year Deal (2024-27)

HIGHLIGHTS:

The set back to the ultimate comeback.

DJ Vasiljevic’s journey to a championship and now a new contract was something else 👑🏆@3jvasiljevic @SydneyKings #NBL23 pic.twitter.com/mts8dm9yBr

— The NBL (@NBL) May 31, 2022

Dan Boyce (829 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.