"These two teams hate each other"

Ahead of what NBL champion Damon Lowery has called the "game of the year", one of the competition's greats has added fuel to the Illawarra and Sydney rivalry.

In an interview with Fox Sports, two time NBL champion Lanard Copeland explained there is no love lost between the two NSW rivals.

“These two teams hate each other," Copeland said to Fox Sports.

"[The] Kings think they’re the best team in NSW, but the Hawks think otherwise.”

The 1997 Grand Final MVP's sentiments were echoed by former Sydney King Brad Rosen, who played the Hawks on 10 occasions during his career, winning seven times.

"Any time these two teams play against each other there are sparks," Rosen said.

"The incident [during the Hawks and Kings during a closed door trial match] earlier in the year only adds to the drama. Bring on tip-off."

Since 1988, the two NSW rivals have played on 120 occasions, with the Kings claiming victory 65 times.

But the Hawks have dominated the recent fixtures, winning six straight.

On Sunday, a major factor will be the turnover battle, with the Hawks currently the worst in the NBL at looking after the ball (14.2 turnovers per game), while the Kings average the fewest per game (8.1).

The Round 9 NSW derby tips off at 2.30pm AEDT at the WIN Entertainment Centre, live on ESPN and Channel 10.

Read the full story here >> ‘Hate each other’s guts’: Inside the NBL rivalry that ignited over ‘illegal tactics’ on ex-NBA star