From fallout to Finals MVP: Delly praises Davis’ redemption

With more than 500 NBA games and a Championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers to his name, Matthew Dellavedova speaks with authority.

So when he praises the impact of Kendric Davis at the Sydney Kings, it carries real weight.

While the Sengstock Trophy winner was quick to credit Dellavedova’s influence on his game, the veteran returned the praise, saying Davis deserves every success that comes his way and highlighting the trust he has in his teammate.

“It’s pretty easy to do when you see the work he (Davis) puts in every single day,” Dellavedova said.

“He is a legit workhorse, always working on his game before and after training.

“He wants to be great. He’s lifting, he’s taking care of his body and he’s done it all year for us.

“He’s stepped up in the biggest moments and we’re very lucky to have him.”

Davis said he couldn’t be prouder to represent the Kings, and spoke about the impact of Dellavedova, Xavier Cooks and coach Brian Goorjian, particularly after his highly-publicised departure from Adelaide.

“The coach believed in me, these two guys took me under their wing,” he said.

“It takes a bold organisation to say, ‘I’m going to work with you’.

“I fell in love with basketball again, because of these people on this table.”

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