We told you banners aren’t raised alone

Players win championships on the floor. But no team reaches the rafters on its own.

When the Sydney Kings return to Afterpay Arena on Sunday, 20 September, the sixth championship banner in club history will be waiting.

It will carry the Kings crest, the championship year and a permanent place in the history of the club.

What it cannot carry are the names of everyone who helped put it there.

The members who kept turning up. The families who made Kings games part of their routine. The children who wore purple to school. The supporters who found another level of noise every time the championship series demanded it.

They were all part of the 18,589 people who filled the arena for the deciding game - the largest crowd in NBL history - and helped turn home-court advantage into a championship.

For Xavier Cooks, the influence of that crowd was undeniable.

“The momentum shifted when we went to overtime because the crowd got involved,” Cooks said.

“We feed off that energy. I don’t think we win that championship without securing home-court advantage.”

The players delivered the championship, but Sydney helped create the environment in which it became possible.

That is why Banner Night becomes not only a chance to watch the Kings celebrate what they achieved, but also an opportunity for the city to share in a moment it helped earn.

“The celebration is really for the fans,” Matthew Dellavedova said.

“You had a huge part in getting us over the line last season, so we hope you can all be there to enjoy it while we get ready to go to work.”

The ceremony will honour an unforgettable season. But for the Kings, it will also mark the beginning of a new pursuit.

“Once the banner goes up, it’s time for business,” Torrey Craig said.

“Last year is last year. We accomplished something special, but now we’re trying to do it again.”

On 20 September, the players will stand beneath the banner. But the moment belongs to every person who stood with them on the way there.

Sydney helped win it.

Now Sydney is invited to help raise it.

Be there when the sixth championship banner rises before the Kings open their NBL27 season against the Cairns Taipans at Afterpay Arena.