"It’s the Kings v Everyone Else"

First Xavier Cooks, now Dejan Vasiljevic. The Sydney Kings are making their voices clear – they’re not here to make friends … they’re here to win.

It’s that unrelenting attitude which is held the reigning champions in such good stead over the past two years, and they’re not planning to change anytime soon.

“We’ve taken on the fact that nobody likes us, it’s the Kings v everyone else and that’s the motto we’re going to live by,” Vasiljevic told Newscorp.

“We definitely feel it when we’re in the arena, no one likes us, everyone seems to play their best game against us, but we wouldn’t want it any other way.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sydney Kings know most of Australia would prefer New Zealand Breakers win the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> Grand Final series. <br><br>And star Dejan Vasiljevic says it&#39;s just how the Kings want it. <a href="https://twitter.com/MickRandallHS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MickRandallHS</a> reports: <a href="https://t.co/uPcdrEIFys">https://t.co/uPcdrEIFys</a> <a href="https://t.co/MOBSfM52Gg">pic.twitter.com/MOBSfM52Gg</a></p>&mdash; Telegraph Sport (@telegraph_sport) <a href="https://twitter.com/telegraph_sport/status/1630465245679591425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Vasiljevic’s comments come off the back of similar sentiments from league MVP, Xavier Cooks.

“A lot of those people (the haters) are just people out west bored at home and tweeting stuff,” Cooks said on Sunday.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Star Xavier Cooks has a simple message for the Sydney Kings’ haters … ‘talk all you like’. <br><br>Get ready for the Championship Series showdown between the <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SydneyKings</a> and the <a href="https://twitter.com/NZBreakers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NZBreakers</a>, starting on Friday, March 3. <a href="https://t.co/uIoRMP95gF">pic.twitter.com/uIoRMP95gF</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1629752862275407872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sydney is preparing to host New Zealand in the first game of the Championship Series at Qudos Bank Arena on Friday night.

The Breakers were the last team to beat the Kings at the venue, back in Round 16, with a similarly daunting atmosphere to contend with this time around.

Over 14,000 Sydney-siders Kings fanatics were in attendance as Jarrell Brantley (30 points) and Will McDowell-White (20) spoilt the party for the home side.

It was Sydney’s highest crowd of the season, with a similar turnout expected for the Championship Series opener.

Mody Maor’s team would love nothing more than to repeat the dose.

“The term appropriate fear is something I approach every opponent with,” he told Stuff. 

“It’s the grand final, you’re supposed to play a great team, and they’re (the Kings) definitely a great team. They’ve been there before, and they’ve been the best team all season. They have very straightforward characteristics ... you know exactly what you’re going to face from a pace standpoint, and an offensive standpoint.

“We compete at a high level, our guys give it everything they have got every moment they’re on the floor, and the level of execution is pretty good. We execute our schemes pretty well, and we have the ability to adjust within game.”

Friday night’s game tips off at 7.30pm AEDT, live & free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies, 10 Peach and 10 play.

Tickets are still available here.