How 'Dellymania' led to KD's dream partnership

As a junior in high school, Kendric Davis watched in awe as Matthew Dellavedova put on one of the greatest defensive displays of all time against Steph Curry in the 2015 NBA Finals.

Now, a decade later, the former 16-year-old finds himself sharing a locker room with a player who inspired him, still just as amazed.

“It means a lot. I was a kid watching him in the NBA Finals. I was kind of like ‘wow’,” Davis told Fox Sports.

The star Sydney Kings recruit is determined to soak up everything he can from a veteran boasting more than 500 games of NBA experience, while carving out his own path to the world’s biggest stage.

Last season’s MVP runner-up to Bryce Cotton, the 26-year-old believes he and Dellavedova can form one of the NBL’s most dangerous backcourt partnerships in the Harbour City.

“He (Dellavedova) took a visit to Sydney, called me and said ‘man, I want you’. It meant the world to me,” Davis said.

“Delly played nine years in the league. That was huge for me learning the ins and outs, and how he does his work. I follow him in every way, on and off the court.”

Sydney coach Brian Goorjian believes the two star guards could form a combination capable of driving the Kings toward another championship.

“Delly, when I asked, ‘what are you looking for?’ … ‘KD’,” Goorjian said.

“When I talked to KD, ‘who do you want to play with?’ … ‘Delly’.”

Davis has set ambitious goals for the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 Season, with Sydney determined to rebound strongly after last year’s disappointing campaign.

“Putting another banner up and leaving a legacy here in Sydney that my son and everyone in Sydney will remember,” he said.

“I want to give the fans a show.”

But the path to success won’t be straightforward, with the Illawarra Hawks shaping up strongly again and Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns and Tasmania among those bolstering their rosters to contend right away.

“This is the strongest the league has ever been. The deepest the league’s ever been. The most competitive it’s ever been,” Goorjian added.

Sydney faces KK Partizan at the Pavlos Giannakopoulos tournament on September 21 at Qudos Bank Arena, before hosting Cairns in Round 2 to officially open their NBL campaign.