Goorjian emphasises importance of culture in Kings' success

Sydney Kings coach Brian Goorjian has outlined how big a factor culture will be for his club this season, during an NBA Summer League interview with Peter Hooley.

Sitting with Hooley in Las Vegas, Goorjian, who is currently on the New York Knicks coaching staff, explained his Hoops Capital side has taken plenty of steps to improve its culture ahead of the fast-approaching 2025-26 campaign.

"The growth of our culture, from setting standards and driving those standards, has been a big focus for us during the off-season," said Goorjian, who explained he's taken plenty away from his time with the Knicks in Vegas.

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"A big part of that was getting three of our key guys [Xavier Cooks, Matthew Dellavedova and Kendric Davis who all worked out together in California earlier this month] together as soon as possible, as they're going to help our group, which we really like, take that next step. 

"Standards generally come from your top players, as they're willing to hold everyone else accountable - so getting Xavier, Delly and Kendric on the same page as early as possible was crucial."

Another part of that culture piece was bringing beloved former King Tim Soares back to the organisation.

"Everyone I spoke to about Tim that was here during her first time in Sydney loved him and said he fit that culture piece we're trying to build perfectly," the six-time NBL championship winner said.

"So bringing him back into the mix is massive for us, not only for what he can do on the court but also what he can provide off it.

"[Overall], I feel really happy that we've addressed the growth areas we identified and am confident we're building it the right way."

Watch Brian Goorjian's interview with the NBL's Peter Hooley via the Sydney Kings’ YouTube channel below. While you’re there, be sure to hit subscribe, to ensure you never miss out on any of our great videos.

Now that coach Goorjian, who is heading into year two back with the harbour city-based side, has his team set in stone, he's really started to get excited about what they can achieve in NBL26.

"It's a really exciting group we've got, with plenty of versatility," he said.

"We have the ability to go small, go super long and switch everything and even play zone - which wasn't necessarily the case last season.

"We have plenty of guys who like to get up and down, so that's the way we're going to play.

"I can't wait to get this thing started with our group."

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