Hoops Capital appoints new GM

Hoops Capital, the entity that encapsulates the Sydney Kings and Flames, unveiled James Newman as their new general manager of basketball operations on Monday.

After a global search, the harbour city club decided New Yorker Newman, fresh off a successful stint with Paris Basketball, was the best person to guide their organisation into the future.

During an interview with ESPN's Olgun Uluc, Newman made comparisons between Paris and Sydney.

"Just winning in Paris, in basketball, is not enough, really, to attract attention," Newman said to ESPN.

"It's not first from the totem pole, in sport or in anything, right? There's just a lot of stuff to do in Paris, and a lot of different interests.

"So, another appeal of Sydney, but also something that I'm really proud of, that we were able to do in Paris, is really build a basketball identity. From the start, his (David Kahn) inspiration for the team was the Showtime Lakers, and he just had a very clear idea that we wanted to be a fast, exciting team, and we wanted it to be different.

33-year-old Newman first met Kahn, a long time executive of NBA franchise the Minnesota Timberwolves, in 2018 while doing scattered consulting work in analytics.

During this time, Kahn, who was teaching at New York University alongside Newman's father Peter, was exploring the feasibility of launching a professional franchise in Paris, with an eye toward the 2024 Olympic Games.

When Paris Basketball was formed, Newman, who always dreamt of working in a profession team's front office, was hired in the analytics and scouting department.

Over time, Newman's role grew, to the point where he ended up moving to Paris full-time.

When launched, Paris Basketball started in France's second division with no European competition but by their third year, Newman's second with the franchise, the club gained promotion to first division, then played EuroCup basketball.

Two years later, Paris won the EuroCup, and entered the EuroLeague, which was followed by winning the 2025 French Cup and 2024 25 French League crown.

During his successful tenure in the French capital, Newman crossed paths with former Kings coach Will Weaver, who he spoke with about the Kings.

"Will just spoke so positively about Luc, and everything he'd heard about the Denholm family was positive, and he coached Andrew Bogut," Newman told ESPN.

"All these different dynamics, in addition to how great the city was, how great the basketball culture there was... I asked a few other people who knew it from different angles and the feedback about everybody involved was always exceedingly positive."

Newman's successful stint in Paris impressed new Hoops Capital CEO Mark Thompson.

"His global experience and proven success in leading winning programs make him an exceptional addition to our organisation. We’re thrilled to welcome James to Sydney as he helps lead the next chapter of growth for the Kings and Flames, both on and off the court," Thompson said in a club statement.

Hoops Capital co owner and special advisor Luc Longley, who is part of Australian basketball royalty, echoed Thompson's comments.

"James brings with him passion and a deep expertise. His time in Paris showed me that he can offer us a fresh perspective as well as passion, energy, and creativity needed to take our program to the next level," Longley said.

Newman will officially start his role in January, while outgoing CEO Chris Pongrass will wrap his successful tenure next month.

Read the full story here >> Hoops Capital appoints James Newman as GM: 'His track record is clear'