2024 Kings Ring of Honour nominees revealed

The Sydney Kings are excited to unveil their nominees for this year's Ring of Honour, which celebrates the club's proud history.

The Ring of Honour award, which has already seen Tom Garlepp, Ben Knight and Brad Rosen inducted, encourages fans and members to vote for and recognise their favourite Sydney players over the last three decades.

Separate from the Sydney Kings Hall of Fame, which is the club’s most distinguished award, the Ring of Honour is an award that the entire Sydney basketball community can get around and involved in.    

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Fans and members are encouraged to vote for their favourite players not just for their talent on the court, but for other reasons they believe they may be worthy of recognition.   

• The most entertaining;  
• The courageous;  
• A great teammate; or  
• Those who gave back to our community.  

This year a judging panel, consisting of Kings great and assistant coach Daniel Kickert, Kings historian Matt McQuade, television commentator and presenter Jo Healy and ESPN insider Olgun Uluc, have shortlisted seven players - which members can vote on to determine the eventual winner.  

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This year's purple and gold nominees (including bios provided by Matt McQuade) are:

• Ben Madgen 

Seasons played with Kings: 5 (2010-2015). 

Games played with Kings: 139.

Career totals with Kings: 2,011 points, 455 rebounds, 278 assists, 97 steals, 19 blocked shots, 4,048 minutes, 42.9% FG, 35.0% 3PT FG, 80.1% FT. 

It’s remarkable that a young man out of Adelaide who went to Augusta State University in the United States, came to the Kings as a virtual unknown in 2010 and was nearly released before his first NBL season had ended would become one of the most celebrated Sydney Kings players. 

‘Madge’, as he was universally known, was an outstanding perimeter shooter for the purple and gold, but most importantly emerged as one of this club’s greatest leaders, both on and off the court. 

A former captain of the club, he won NBL Rookie of the Year in 2011 and had a brilliant season in 2012/13, winning the league scoring title, the NBL Most Improved Award and selection to the All-NBL First Team. 

Such was the esteem in which he was held, Ben was also named to the Sydney Kings 25th Anniversary Team in 2013 while still playing for the club. 

However, it was Ben’s work in the community that was truly extraordinary. He was a genuine ‘King of the Kids’, establishing Madgen’s Message of Hope for sick children, making countless visits to hospitals to brighten someone’s day or organising tickets for those kids and their families so they could attend Sydney Kings games. 

Always with a smile on his face, ‘Madge’ made time for anyone who approached for a chat, an autograph, or just a kind word. He was a great player, but a better human. 

• Bruce Bolden 

Seasons played with Kings: 4 (1995-1998).

Games played with Kings: 110.

Career totals with Kings: 1,629 points, 922 rebounds, 213 assists, 127 steals, 79 blocked shots, 3,737 minutes, 53.1% FG, 40.7% 3PT FG, 75.6% FT. 

Bruce Bolden is not only one of the greatest players in the history of the National Basketball League and a man who was a brilliant contributor to the Sydney Kings, he’s also a fascinating dichotomy. 

On court, he was tough, hard, and intimidating. A look from Bruce alone could stop veteran NBL players in their tracks. Yet off court, you would not meet a more decent human being, a true gentleman who engaged with the community in an exemplary manner. 

Recruited to the Kings in 1995, he was part of one of the most entertaining squads in franchise history, the legendary 1996 team featuring the likes of Shane ‘The Hammer’ Heal, Isaac ‘Ice’ Burton and Melvin Thomas. 

And Bruce still features in the Top Ten all-time in Sydney Kings history in field goal percentage, free throws made, free throws attempted, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, total rebounds, and career rebounds per game. 

Later on, he became the lead analyst for Sydney Kings Radio for several years, and continues to work with kids through his successful basketball clinics. 

Tough as they come, yet a man who everyone loves – that’s Bruce ‘Buffy’ Bolden. 

• Leon Trimmingham 

Seasons played with Kings: 2 (1994-1995). 

Games played with Kings: 55.

Career totals with Kings: 1,509 points, 600 rebounds, 82 assists, 94 steals, 119 blocked shots, 2,133 minutes, 56.3% FG, 78.3% FT. 

It says a lot that even to this day, Leon Trimmingham is spoken about in almost reverential terms by long-time fans of the Sydney Kings, even though he only played two seasons in the Harbour City. 

Why is that? 

Well, for starters, this 6’5”, undersized power forward, who came from the US Virgin Islands, loved cricket and whose mother owned a KFC franchise at one time, burst on to the scene as a complete unknown in 1994 and immediately started terrorising the NBL as one of the greatest high-flying acts this competition has ever known. 

Nicknamed ‘Above the Rim’, that’s exactly where Leon played the game – in fact, way above the rim. He was a sky-walker, a human highlight reel, a dunking machine, who played the game with such verve and joy that fans couldn’t get enough of him. 

Leon’s number 42 jersey was everywhere in the Kingdome in those days and watching him was like watching a movie thriller – you were always just waiting for the moment when he would make you jump out of your seat with excitement thanks to some explosive, gravity-defying play. He was must-watch viewing, to say the very least. 

Off-court, he was just as beloved. He attended hundreds of clinics across New South Wales during his short time here, even making an impression on a young man in Dubbo named Matt Logue, who would grow up to be a great basketball writer. 

Kids and parents alike loved Leon Trimmingham – a humble superstar who was an outstanding representative of the Sydney Kings. 

• BJ Carter 

Seasons played with Kings: 7 (2001/2002; 2002/2003; 2003/2004; 2004/2005; 2005/2006; 2006/2007; 2007/2008).

Games played with Kings: 150. 

Career totals with Kings: 625 points; 172 rebounds; 109 assists; 41 steals; 1,660 minutes; 42.5% FG; 43.4% 3PT FG; 78.5% FT. 

NBL championships with Kings: 3 (2002/2003; 2003/2004; 2004/2005). 

BJ Carter is the epitome of what it should mean to be a Sydney King, especially for any young Sydney basketball player who has a dream of wearing the purple and gold. 

This young man, the pride of the Sutherland basketball association, was a slight, 6’1” guard who wasn’t especially athletic or strong, even though he was incredibly gifted at shooting the rock. 

What set him apart was a tireless work ethic, remarkable passion, and a single-minded goal – to become the best player he could be and represent the team he loved; the Sydney Kings. 

He started as nothing more than a training player for the club, there to provide someone for the stars to go up against on a daily basis. But such was his impact, he would eventually parlay those hard days in practice into a full-time roster spot, one of his proudest achievements. 

He would become a key contributor during the Brian Goorjian era in Sydney, evolving into a productive bench piece and one of the finest three-point shooters in franchise history. 

Before Daniel Kickert’s amazing NBL20 campaign, when ‘Kicks’ shot 49% from downtown for the season, BJ held the single-season three-point percentage record for the club, knocking down 48.8% from three-point range in the 2006/2007 season. His 45.8% mark in the 2005/2006 season remains in the all-time top ten in Kings’ history for three-point percentage in a single season. 

One of only 11 men to have played 150 games for the club, BJ is also just one of five individuals to have played in at least seven NBL seasons for the Kings. The other four? Matthew Nielsen, Damian Keogh, Tim Morrissey and Mark Dalton – all four are Sydney Kings Legends. That a pretty impressive group to be a part of. 

On and off the court, BJ Carter was an outstanding representative of the club he loved so much, a club with which he spent his entire NBL career, and he is a worthy nominee for this year’s Ring of Honour. 

• Marc Ridlen 

Seasons played with Kings: 3 (1988; 1989; 1990). 

Games played with Kings: 83. 

Career totals with Kings: 1,886 points; 957 rebounds; 160 assists; 98 steals; 74 blocked shots; 3,134 minutes; 51.6% FG; 27.7% 3PT FG; 70.9% FT. 

Marc Ridlen came to Sydney in 1987 and never left. 

The graduate of Drury University in Missouri had played in Argentina and then the old SEABL competition with the Bendigo Braves before Mike Wrublewski signed him to become a member of the Sydney Supersonics as an unknown 6’10” import power forward. 

Ridlen quickly made people sit up and take notice with an outstanding campaign for the Sonics in ’87, leading the team in scoring (30.5ppg) and rebounding (16.1rpg) and he was named to the All-NBL Second Team. 

Those numbers saw him become the very first player signed to a contract by the newly-formed Sydney Kings, making him a foundation member in the club’s first NBL season in 1988. 

From there, Marc played with great distinction for the purple and gold, helping lead them to a pair of playoff appearances in 1989 and 1990. 

He was incredibly productive and efficient throughout his stint with the Kings, setting a franchise record that is unlikely to ever be approached with an astounding 30 rebounds in a single game against the Newcastle Falcons at the State Sports Centre in March 1988 – that spectacular effort included 19 defensive boards, which is also a Sydney Kings single-game record. 

Remarkably, Marc is still featured in the all-time top ten in Sydney Kings' history in points, field goals made, field goals attempted offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, total rebounds, career points per game, career rebounds per game and career minutes per game. And his 13.5 rebounds per game in 1988 remains the best ever by a Kings’ player in a single season. 

Even though he was released at the end of the 1990 season, Marc remained in Sydney and lives here to this day, such is his love for the city. He was even nicknamed ‘Syd’ by the team, to go along with his other nicknames – ‘Chewbacca’ and ‘The Board Crusher’. 

A great player and a great man whose exploits for the purple and gold should never be forgotten – Marc Ridlen is a standout nominee for the Sydney Kings Ring of Honour. 

• Luke Kendall

Seasons played with Kings: 5 (2004-2008; 2010-2011).

Games played with Kings: 124.

Career totals with Kings: 1,438 points; 489 rebounds; 508 assists; 172 steals; 34 blocked shots; 3,853 minutes; 38.0% FG; 34.8% 3PT FG; 81.8% FT.

Luke Kendall may have been born in Victoria, but his ties to the Sydney Kings run extremely deep.

A highly-prized commodity as a rookie after he helped lead Metro State University in Denver to the NCAA Division 2 national championship, Luke joined the Kings in the 2004/2005 season and made an immediate impact, averaging 12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.7 steals per game before his debut campaign in the NBL was brutally cut short by a season-ending knee injury.

Nonetheless, he won a ring as a member of the fabled threepeat title squad, and after making a comeback in 2005/2006, established himself as one of the best Australian guards in the league for the next three seasons.

He played in two of the following three Grand Final series and was a starting guard on the legendary Kings’ team in 2007/2008 that went a franchise record 27-3 in the regular season and went within one game of winning the team’s fourth NBL crown.

And even though the club folded after that remarkable on-court season, Luke’s time with Sydney was far from over. He would make an appearance in one game during the Kings’ resurrection season in 2010/2011 and concluded his tenure with the purple and gold as an assistant coach between 2016 and 2019.

Nicknamed ‘The Natural’ as a player, Luke Kendall was a class act, both on and off the court, and represented the Sydney Kings with distinction through an association that lasted nearly a decade. He currently resides in the franchise's all-time top 10 for three-point field goals made, three-point field goals attempted, free throw percentage, assists, steals, minutes, career assists per game and career steals per game and is a worthy nominee for the 2024 Ring of Honour.

• Julian Khazzouh

Seasons played with Kings: 3 (2010-2012; 2015-2016).

Games played with Kings: 70.

Career totals with Kings: 1,130 points; 679 rebounds; 118 assists; 60 steals; 134 blocked shots; 2,189 minutes; 49.0% FG; 26.0% 3PT FG; 73.9% FT.

It says a lot about Julian Khazzouh that he very nearly won the NBL Most Valuable Player award as a member of a last-placed team.

The Sydney-born product of Oakhill College would ultimately narrowly lose to Illawarra’s Gary Ervin in that 2010/2011 season – the Kings’ return to the competition which featured a franchise record 14-game losing streak as well as the club’s first wooden spoon – but his standout individual performance for the purple and gold would see him honoured with selection in the All-NBL First Team and he was added to the Australian Boomers national squad.

The big 6’11” centre would continue his torrid play into the next season for the Kings, putting up massive numbers. He captured the attention of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, who invited him to a tryout midway through the NBL campaign, and although he didn’t make the team, it was an acknowledgment of a ballplayer who had NBA traits and was favourably compared to Los Angeles Lakers superstar Pau Gasol.

At the conclusion of the 2011/2012 season, Julian was named in the league’s All-NBL First Team for the second consecutive season and won the club MVP and Player’s Player awards after averaging 16.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game.

He would depart the Kings for three seasons to play overseas and returned for the 2015-2016 season, playing 17 games before suffering a ruptured quadriceps tendon; an injury that would unfortunately end his playing career.

But the exceptionally gifted pivot would leave a terrific legacy for the Sydney Kings, on and off the floor; regarded by everyone who came in contact with him as a thoroughly decent human being. He currently sits in in the franchise all-time top 10 for offensive rebounds, blocked shots, career rebounds per game and career blocked shots per game, and his nomination for the 2024 Ring of Honour is a just reward for one of the finest big men ever to wear purple and gold.

Voting closes on Wednesday, February 7, with fans able to have their say here.

The winner will be presented with their award at the Kings’ final home game of the regular season at Qudos Bank Arena, when the Hoops Capital side takes on Freeway Series rivals Illawarra from 4pm Sunday, February 11.

Tickets for the game are still available here.