Hawks GM: 'This Is the One to Win'

The Illawarra Hawks will be looking to take the bragging rights over their local rivals Sydney this weekend, and Illawarra General Manager of Basketball Mat Campbell says there's no better team to kick off their campaign against.

Before his move into basketball administration Campbell forged a playing career with the Hawks. He spent his entire 16 years as a professional with the organisation and is one of just five players to have had his jersey retired by the club.

His on-court experience means he knows all about what the rivalry represents.

“I remember way back in my career days that you only had to win one game, and that was to beat the Kings at home,” Campbell told the Illawarra Mercury.

“That’s been instilled into the group through generations of players, so to have our arch-rival as the first home game of the year is a great way to start the season for the new coach (Jacob Jackomas), the new guys coming into the franchise, and also for our fans.

“It’s outstanding to see the new group come together. They played well at the NBL Blitz and we won two out of three games, and gave Adelaide a real shake without Justin Robinson playing, so I’m pretty confident the guys are coming together well and we’ll start the season off with a bang.”

The Hawks and Kings face off on Saturday evening, 8pm AEST at WIN Entertainment Centre, with the game live on ESPN via Foxtel and Kayo. 

For the full story head to >> Illawarra Hawks prepare to rise against Sydney Kings in Wollongong.