Kings honour high-flying 90s sides with Heritage Round uniforms

The Sydney Kings have always been a club proud of their history and this year is no different, as shown by the throwback for this season's NBL Heritage Round.

During round 16 of the NBL23 season, the Kings will honour the sides of the early 1990s with a revamped purple and gold jersey for their match with New Zealand at Qudos Bank Arena.

That jersey was made iconic by the likes of Kings legends Damian Keogh, Dwayne McClain, Leon Trimmingham, Mark Dalton and Tim Morrissey, during a time that hoops was rocking in the harbour city.

“It was an epic time to be involved with the Kings,” said Morrissey, who scored 1,730 points during his seven seasons with the Kings from 1988 to 1994.

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 “The city embraced team and basketball in a way that had never been seen before - it was amazing fun to play in front of packed-out arenas at the original Kingdome.

“That was a testament to all the exciting players on those teams but also the front office staff we had, led by Michael Wrublewski, Lorraine Landon and Bob Turner - who helped out with marketing along with coaching.

“The current organisation continues to do a great job honouring the past and paying respects to its roots.

“We started something big in the late 80s, early 90s and with anything, there are plenty of highs and lows which the Kings have obviously experienced but to the club’s credit, they’re back bigger than ever.”

One man that knows Morrissey and those other household Kings' names is club historian Matt McQuade, who remembers those players, including the 11-year NBL veteran Morrissey, very fondly.

"It’s not unfair to say that Tim [Morrissey] was hated by opposition fans but that was a measure of how effective he was," McQuade said.

"And Kings’ fans loved him, because he was someone who played incredibly hard, was an unselfish teammate who just wanted to win and wasn’t interested in stats - he was unquestionably one of the best defensive players in franchise history."

He also had high praise for a number of Morrissey's teammates, starting with Carfino.

"‘Mr Magic’ was the very first Sydney Kings superstar. He was a brilliant playmaker and scorer with a megawatt smile who endeared himself to every Kings fan from the moment he stepped on the court wearing purple and gold," McQuade said.

"Damian [Keogh] was a terrific leader, a gritty defender who no one wanted to come up against and an outstanding passer. If there’s anyone who was the personification of the Sydney Kings in the first decade of their existence, it was Damian ‘ThreeO’ Keogh.

"And I’ve said it many times – during Dwayne McClain’s three seasons in Sydney, he became the city’s version of Michael Jordan; a superstar who transcended basketball, such was his popularity. The D-Train might have been the most talented, explosive and charismatic ballplayer to ever wear purple and gold.

"Mark [Dalton] was one of my all-time favourite players. Tough, physical and relentless at both ends; ‘Tang’ was one of those guys who could never be measured strictly against the stats he produced, but those who truly understood the game of basketball knew just how crucial a member he was to the Kings. The guy was a flat-out winner, full stop.

"Finally, when it comes to Leon Trimmingham - when the Kings signed him, everyone said “Leon who?”. But once he arrived, we were all astounded. This guy was a gravity-defying highlight reel every single night; ‘Above The Rim’ was one of the greatest dunkers in NBL history who brought the fans to their feet at the Kingdome with one spectacular play after the other."

Fans can buy their own Kings Heritage Round jersey via the club store from Wednesday, with tickets to the clash against the Breakers can be purchased here.