Misunderstood no more: Davis chasing greatness

There are countless storylines heading into the blockbuster Hungry Jack’s NBL26 Championships Series between Sydney and Adelaide. None are bigger than Kings star Kendric Davis coming up against his former side for the title.

In his first season in the NBL, Davis exploded on the scene, averaging 25.6 points, 7.8 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game with the 36ers.

That season, he was named in the All-NBL First Team, but Adelaide fell one game short of qualifying for the Playoffs, losing to South East Melbourne in the NBL25 Play-In Game.

Davis after the Adelaide 36ers' Play-In Game defeat in NBL25.

In the ensuing weeks, it appeared that Davis would return to the City of Churches for a second season, with both sides holding a mutual interest in a reunion. But that quickly soured, and that’s when the Kings swooped and penned the now 26-year-old to a one-year deal.

From there, the tension only grew, with both Davis and the 36ers exchanging barbs before the American was booed during his return to Adelaide in Round 4.

Davis had the last laugh that day, tallying 22 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists to help the Kings defeat the 36ers 103-79, which marked Adelaide’s first loss of the season.

“It's hurtful when you get online, and you see things, because the world just goes with what they hear,” Davis said in an interview with Kings Media.

“Anybody who knows me knows I would give my last [breath] for my teammates. I’m always a genuine guy, I work hard, and I show up.

“They [Adelaide] offered me a three-year deal. If I was that hard, you wouldn't have wanted me for three years. The story didn't correlate.

“[Soon after] Goorj (Brian Goorjian) called me, told me how much he believed in me, and said, ‘I'm going to stick by your side, and we're going to change this narrative. We're not going to fake it. We're going to give them the truth about who you are’.”

Early on though, the Kings will be the first to admit there were some teething issues, with Goorjian’s side falling to 3-5 early in the season.

“At 3-5, we were laughing ... like they really think we're going to be 3-5 bad, but nobody [internally] was pointing fingers,” Davis said.

“Everybody was just like, 'we're going to figure it out'. I remember texting X (Xavier Cooks) ‘let's be great’, and he was like ‘let's do it’.

“Then the look in the guys' eyes in the locker room that whole following week, [was like nothing I’d] ever seen before.

“After that, the group kind of believed [in ourselves].”

Since then, that’s exactly what Davis and his Kings have done, letting their play do the talking.

Behind Davis’ 24.8 points, 6.7 dimes and 3.9 boards per contest, the Harbour City side won 21 of their next 25 matches, to secure the NBL26 regular season championship.

During that win streak, which now stands at 13 games, Davis’ case for the 2025-26 MVP grew so much so that coach Goorjian said he “wouldn’t trade Kendric for anybody” in the league.

Ultimately, Davis fell just two votes short of winning the MVP, with Adelaide’s Bryce Cotton claiming the honours for a sixth time.

While disappointed in not receiving the individual accolades, which saw Davis demand that votes be made public, the guard quickly turned his attention to winning a different type of silverware.

“Just win something that they can’t vote on, just win a championship, that’s all that matters,” Davis said at the NBL26 Finals Launch.

>> Finals schedule, tickets & how to watch

Now on the eve of his first Championship Series, Davis, who says his relationship with Goorjian is a ‘lifetime father and son bond’, has set his sights on creating an everlasting legacy.

“[I’m] the most misunderstood guy to ever come through the NBL,” he said.

“I just want to be remembered as one of the greats and one of the best to ever do it.”

The NBL26 Championships Series, between Sydney and Adelaide, tips off at Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday at 7pm AEDT, live on ESPN and 10 Drama.

Happier times for the Sydney Kings star.