Cooks confident in Kings' roster for NBL25

The excitement of having the NBL23 MVP back in Sydney is about to get even better for Kings fans, with Xavier Cooks confidently declaring he will get his side to the post-season.

Cooks is back with the Kings on a three-year deal after departing the NBL to follow his NBA dreams. He played for the Washington Wizards before signing a contract with the Chiba Jets Funabashi in the Japanese B.League.

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Recruited back to Sydney by new coach Brian Goorjian, Cooks has his sights set on another NBL title after leading the Kings to the 2022 and 2023 championships. 

“I’m confident the boys can at least make the playoffs, and see what we can do from there,” Cooks said on 2GB radio.

Listen to King #217 @xaviercooks10 chat with @2GB873's @marklevy2gb about his decision to return to our Hoops Capital club 🎙️

Interview ➡️ https://t.co/Y4slYLnUSC

Audio page ➡️ https://t.co/78kYWrsqZs#WeTheKings pic.twitter.com/NsjSkhDBxc

— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) June 6, 2024

After winning the title two years in a row under former coach Chase Buford, the Kings took a step back in NBL24 – finishing fifth on the ladder and being knocked out by their NBL23 Championship Series opponent, the New Zealand Breakers.

The 28-year old big admitted to having weekly check-ins with coach Goorjian, and says the new roster is promising and one Kings fans should look forward to watching.

“I signed that contract probably about a month ago and it didn’t really sink in until this week when it was officially announced,” Cooks said.

“It was a bit painful last year to watch the team from a distance so I’m excited to be back and helping out.

“I’ve been in contact with Goorj pretty much every week.

“Just looking at the roster we put together so far, it’s a really defensive-mindset team. Looking at the history of the league, the top three teams are always the best defensive teams in the league.”

The two-time NBL champion is predicted to come back better than ever under Goorjian, with Boomers camps and a hopeful Olympic showing on the cards in the coming months.

The Kings’ first game of NBL25 will take place at HoopsFest in Perth, WA, against the Adelaide 36ers on September 22.

Stay up to date with all the harbour city club's off-season news here.