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 its 30th anniversary season after finishing seventh with an 11-17 record in 2017/18 and missing the playoffs for a fifth consecutive year. Andrew Gaze returned as coach, with Todd Blanchfield (to Illawarra), Jason Cadee (to Brisbane), Perry Ellis, Tom Garlepp (retired) and Isaac Humphries (to Atlanta) departing. Kevin Lisch remained captain alongside returning guards Jerome Randle and Brad Newley, while Sydney added NBA champion Andrew Bogut following 13 seasons in the NBA, Daniel Kickert (via Brisbane), David Wear (via Osaka Evessa), Deng Deng (via McKinnon), Kyle Adnam (via Melbourne), Tom Wilson (via Melbourne) and development player Lachlan Barker (via Sydney). The Kings also became the first team to utilise the NBL’s new Next Stars program, signing McDonald’s All-American Brian Bowen as he prepared for the NBA Draft.

The captain entered the third and final season of the three-year contract he had signed with Sydney in 2016. Before the regular season, the Kings travelled to Hawaii to face the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBLxNBA series on September 30, where the captain (16 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists) produced one of Sydney’s strongest performances. Randle (25 points), Kickert (13 points) and Newley (8 points) also contributed as the Kings twice closed to within one point before the Clippers’ NBA size and speed eventually proved too much in a 110-91 loss.

Sydney opened the regular season against Adelaide at Qudos Bank Arena on October 13, where the captain (5 points, 2 assists, and 1 steal) struggled offensively in a 94-83 loss. Randle (28 points and 7 assists) and Kickert (14 points and 3 rebounds) led Sydney, while Daniel Johnson (22 points and 10 rebounds) paced Adelaide.

Lisch (14.1 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 steals across 29 games) remained one of Sydney’s primary guards and recovered strongly after injuries had restricted him throughout the previous season. His perimeter defence remained a major part of his value, with Fox Sports identifying him during the season as one of the league’s biggest surprises and Sydney’s best perimeter defender. The only game he missed came on November 18 after an accidental collision with a teammate at training left him with a jaw injury, with the team doctor ruling him out of the game against New Zealand. He returned for Sydney’s following game against Melbourne.

His best scoring game came against Cairns on October 28, where Lisch (22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) made five of six three-pointers as Sydney defeated the Taipans 98-90 in overtime. Randle (24 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals) and Kickert (19 points) helped the Kings overcome Melo Trimble (29 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals) and DJ Newbill (18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals). “I like how we fought through. Things didn’t always go our way but we kept with it and fortunately got the win,” Lisch said.

Lisch played his 200th NBL game against Illawarra on November 2, contributing 12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks as Sydney defeated the Hawks 86-79. Bogut (21 points, 14 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks), Randle (13 points) and Newley (10 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) helped Sydney collect its third consecutive win, while Todd Blanchfield (16 points and 3 steals) and Tim Coenraad (16 points and 6 rebounds) led Illawarra.

Another key performance came against New Zealand on January 11, where Lisch (20 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) hit an important basket with just over a minute remaining as Sydney defeated the Breakers 100-92 and completed a 4-0 season sweep of New Zealand. Wear (19 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists) and Randle (18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) provided support, while Shawn Long (20 points and 10 rebounds) and Tai Wesley (16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks) led the Breakers.

Sydney secured its first playoff appearance since 2013 with a 107-91 win over Brisbane on February 3, where Lisch (21 points, 3 assists, and 5 steals) was named Player of the Game. Randle (26 points and 2 steals), Newley (14 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Bogut (13 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists) helped the Kings score a season-high 34 points in the opening quarter, while Lamar Patterson (27 points and 6 rebounds) and Cameron Bairstow (16 points and 7 rebounds) led Brisbane.

Sydney also added Ray Turner (via Bendigo, 4.5 points across 10 games) in January to provide additional frontcourt depth as the Kings prepared for the playoffs and Bogut (11.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.7 blocks across 30 games) managed injury concerns. Turner played a limited role but gave Sydney another physical option off the bench during the final stages of the season.

The Kings completed the regular season against Cairns on February 16, where Lisch (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) helped Sydney secure an 89-84 victory at Qudos Bank Arena. Newley (19 points and 6 rebounds) and Bogut (12 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 blocks) were also prominent, while Trimble (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Cairns. The win left Sydney third with an 18-10 record and confirmed its first postseason appearance in six years.

Randle (17.9 points and 4.2 assists across 29 games) led Sydney in scoring despite battling a glute injury late in the season and was named to the All-NBL Second Team. Bogut anchored the defence and was awarded the Andrew Gaze Trophy as NBL Most Valuable Player, named the league’s Best Defensive Player and selected to the All-NBL First Team. Newley (10.8 points and 4.6 rebounds across 30 games) remained an important wing contributor, Kickert (9.4 points across 30 games) provided reliable outside shooting from the frontcourt and Bowen (6.3 points and 3.2 rebounds across 30 games) added athleticism and versatility during his season as a Next Star. Before the playoffs began, it was confirmed Gaze would leave the Kings at the completion of the season.

Sydney opened its semifinal series against defending champion Melbourne at Melbourne Arena, where Lisch (13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals), Newley (17 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Randle (13 points) led the Kings, while Bogut (7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks) provided resistance inside. Melbourne broke the game open after a 24-24 first quarter and won 95-73 behind Ware (22 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists) and DJ Kennedy (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals).

Game two moved to Qudos Bank Arena, where Lisch (13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Adnam (13 points) shared Sydney’s scoring lead, Turner (12 points and 3 rebounds) provided a spark off the bench and Bogut (10 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks) recorded a double-double. Melbourne won 90-76 to complete the semifinal sweep, while Ware (30 points and 5 rebounds) and Goulding (23 points and 3 assists) led Melbourne.

2019/20
After underdelivering with Andrew Gaze as coach, Sydney went in a different direction in 2019 and signed Australian Boomers assistant Will Weaver as head coach. Melbourne declined the optional third year of Craig Moller’s contract, allowing Moller (via Melbourne) to return on a two-year deal, while Sydney re-signed its captain to a multi-year deal on March 29 after he received opportunities to join South East Melbourne and Illawarra but chose to take a pay cut and remain with the Kings. Jerome Randle (to Adelaide) was replaced by Casper Ware (via Melbourne), David Wear departed and was replaced by Jae’Sean Tate (via Antwerp), while Shaun Bruce (via Adelaide), Lucas Walker (via Cairns) and Next Star Didi Louzada were added. Brad Newley and Andrew Bogut remained part of the team’s veteran core.

Sydney opened the season in Cairns on October 4, where Lisch (18 points) made three three-pointers as the Kings defeated the Taipans 79-71. Ware (23 points and 5 assists) led Sydney, while Kouat Noi (14 points and 12 rebounds) was Cairns’ best.

Lisch (8.7 points across 13 games) suffered a fractured left ankle during Sydney’s Round 2 win over Adelaide, finishing with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals as the Kings defeated the 36ers 102-80. The injury was expected to keep him out for around two months and Sydney signed Deshon Taylor (via Adelaide) as an injury replacement.

While Lisch recovered, Sydney continued to sit on top of the ladder and added Xavier Cooks (via Strasbourg) on November 27 after releasing Kuany Kuany to open a roster spot.

Lisch returned in Round 10 against Perth on December 6, finishing with 0 points in 17 minutes as the Wildcats defeated Sydney 96-77. Two days later, Lisch (2 points and 3 steals) played 20 minutes against Cairns, but the Taipans won 109-98. The ankle remained sore following his return and forced him back onto the sidelines for another six rounds.

After almost another two months out, Lisch returned against Perth on February 1, scoring 5 points in nine minutes as Sydney lost 110-100. He played each of the Kings’ remaining regular-season games, including Lisch (8 points) making two three-pointers in a 99-96 overtime win over South East Melbourne before finishing with 6 points against Illawarra as Sydney defeated the Hawks 98-82 in the final game of the regular season. The victory completed a 20-8 record and secured the minor premiership, with Sydney becoming the first team in NBL history to lead the competition from the opening round through to the end of the regular season.

Ware (17.9 points and 3.7 assists across 34 games) led Sydney in scoring, while Tate (16.8 points and 5.7 rebounds across 34 games) was named to the All-NBL First Team and won the Kings’ club MVP. Newley (11.5 points and 4.4 rebounds across 34 games), Bogut (8.5 points and 8.8 rebounds across 31 games) and Cooks (6.7 points, 9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 20 games) gave Weaver one of the league’s deepest rotations, with Ware and Bogut selected to the All-NBL Second Team.

Sydney opened its semifinal series against Melbourne at Qudos Bank Arena, where Lisch (4 points) started as the Kings recovered from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to win 86-80. Tate (23 points and 5 rebounds), Newley (17 points and 5 rebounds) and Cooks (13 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Sydney, while Melo Trimble (34 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals) and Shawn Long (23 points and 10 rebounds) were Melbourne’s best.

Game two moved to Melbourne Arena, where Lisch (3 points) and Sydney were overwhelmed as United won 125-80 and forced a deciding game three. Tate (18 points and 6 rebounds) and Louzada (10 points and 3 steals) led the Kings, while Long (26 points and 11 rebounds), Trimble (21 points) and Stanton Kidd (18 points and 4 rebounds) powered Melbourne to the 45-point victory.

Game three returned to Qudos Bank Arena, where Lisch (6 points and 4 assists) hit a corner three-pointer with a little over two minutes remaining to put Sydney back in front before Tate scored on the next possession as the Kings defeated Melbourne 89-87 and advanced to their first Grand Final since 2008. Tate (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists), Ware (15 points and 4 rebounds) and Cooks (14 points and 9 rebounds) led Sydney, while Chris Goulding (19 points) and Mitch McCarron (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led Melbourne.

The Grand Final opened against defending champion Perth at Qudos Bank Arena on March 8, where Lisch (17 points) made four three-pointers and was Sydney’s second-leading scorer as the Wildcats escaped with an 88-86 victory. With Ware struggling from the field, Lisch made three consecutive three-pointers during the third quarter to help Sydney take a five-point lead into the final period. Bogut (18 points and 12 rebounds) led the Kings, while Bryce Cotton (32 points and 6 rebounds) and Nick Kay (14 points and 6 rebounds) led Perth.

With the remainder of the series closed to the general public because of the growing COVID-19 outbreak, game two moved to RAC Arena on March 13, where Lisch produced his best game of the season, making three three-pointers and all eight of his free throws to finish with 19 points as Sydney defeated Perth 97-83 and levelled the series 1-1. Lisch hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with less than three minutes remaining to all but seal the road win, while Tate (20 points) and Bogut (19 points and 14 rebounds) also delivered for Sydney. Cotton (27 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Kay (17 points and 7 rebounds) led Perth.

Game three returned to Qudos Bank Arena on March 15, where Lisch (16 points) made another three three-pointers but Perth won 111-96 to move ahead 2-1 in the series. Tate (20 points and 6 rebounds) and Newley (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal) led Sydney, while Cotton (31 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Kay (30 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists) combined for 61 points for the Wildcats.

Prior to game four, Sydney withdrew from the series amid the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation, with concerns surrounding player welfare, travel restrictions and international players being able to return home. The remaining games were cancelled and Perth was subsequently awarded the championship with its 2-1 series lead, while Cotton was named Grand Final MVP after averaging 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists across the three games.

Lisch had already told his teammates following the opening game of the Grand Final that he did not intend to play another season. The fractured ankle suffered earlier in the season had exacerbated a pre-existing ankle condition and Lisch underwent surgery following the season, with multiple medical specialists advising him to avoid any further impact activity. “Through the grace of God I was blessed to play this game,” Lisch said. On June 9, 2020, he announced his retirement from professional basketball.

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.

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