McIntyre to Create Further NBL History?

Saturday, May 20, 2023

With Sydney on the hunt for a new coach, could Kings assistant Fleur McIntyre have the opportunity to make NBL history?

McIntyre is no stranger to making history within the NBL, having become the first female coach in NBL history to win a championship - something she has done twice as an assistant at the Kings - while she also took the reins of the Kings for a game at last year's NBL Blitz.

With two-time championship winning head coach Chase Buford parting ways with the side earlier this week, McIntyre's name has been thrown into the mix as a possible replacement, and she does concede she has thought about the potential new role.

“I would be lying if I said it (coaching) hadn’t crossed my mind,” McIntyre said on MamaMia’s Here if You Need Podcast.

“I had the opportunity to head coach a pre-season game, our first pre-season game at the NBL Blitz. [I was the] first female to head coach a men’s professional sports team in Australia.

<iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/1XsGsO25C2tvmhUURYkMfR?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe>

“We were all up in Darwin and I had guys in other teams coming up to me that I didn’t know at all, just telling me how great it was and congratulations.

“I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t feel the weight of the world some days as the first."

Despite holding some interest in taking over from Buford at the Kings, McIntyre hinted that she's more than likely to remain as an assistant coach for the immediate future.

“It certainly has put the idea in my head, I think I’d like a couple more years to ply my trade as assistant and keep learning," she added.

"But there is that small competitor part of me that says, 'I would love to see if I could do this'."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Sydney Kings would like to recognise the amazing service head coach <a href="https://twitter.com/chasebuford?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chasebuford</a> has given the club over the past two seasons.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheKings?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/AdSm3Rl4nb">pic.twitter.com/AdSm3Rl4nb</a></p>— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1658622782320660480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Having grown up in regional West Australia, McIntyre was exposed to a higher level of basketball for the first time at the age of 15, when she moved to Perth.

A former five-time club MVP of what is now NBL1 West, McIntyre played 270 games for the Cockburn Cougars over the course of 19 years.

Her first foray into coaching came at the Cougars - where she is now a life member - as an assistant to the men's team.

“I was injured early in my career. I had a couple of knee surgeries and figured out pretty quickly, I’m not sure if I’m going to make a profession out of this whole basketball thing,” McIntyre said.

“I started coaching when I was coaching semi-professionally in the NBL1 tier competition.

“I really enjoyed it; I love working with kids and I really enjoyed engaging with the families and everyone involved from junior level all the way through. It just went from there.

“Now being able to make it a job is a dream come true.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Two-time <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBL</a> champion <a href="https://twitter.com/FleurMcintyre?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FleurMcintyre</a> recently chatted with <a href="https://twitter.com/catecamp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@catecamp</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Hayley__Willis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Hayley__Willis</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/mamamiapodcasts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mamamiapodcasts</a>' 'Here If You Need' show ?? <br><br>Listen to the full episode ? <a href="https://t.co/sSitLy3CBr">https://t.co/sSitLy3CBr</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheKings?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/wWNlJaqIEo">pic.twitter.com/wWNlJaqIEo</a></p>— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1659015984760635392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It's often hammered home how important team dynamic and culture are in the build towards team success, and several Kings players have spoken glowingly about the influence McIntyre has had on the group - including now Washington Wizards forward Xavier Cooks labelling her "the team mum".

McIntyre explained how the Kings' exceptional team dynamics have been fostered under her watch.

“Everyone is different, treating people all the same way….is where people go wrong sometimes,” she said.

“Having really clear ideas of your team values and team goals is really important because that is what shapes the way that you want to play, but also creates an environment that you’re setting every day with your processes.

“Understanding human beings and their why, having those conversations. I say it all the time, rather than having those conversations constantly in team meetings, it’s those one-on-one conversations and little moments that are the things that help you understand people.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sydney Kings' membership sales have got off to a flying start, with a huge number of fans wanting to be a part of the club's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL24?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL24</a> campaign and chase for a third straight championship ?<br><br>?: <a href="https://t.co/ABnVU2gf6f">https://t.co/ABnVU2gf6f</a> <br>??: <a href="https://t.co/zMKlMA8JDo">https://t.co/zMKlMA8JDo</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheKings?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/DoU4Oa2WG9">pic.twitter.com/DoU4Oa2WG9</a></p>— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1656520484115353601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“Show people that they’re valued and give them some face time. When it’s always a collective ... it’s those individual moments that create that really nice team dynamic,” McIntyre said.

“Whether you’re a star import, or a starting five, or you’re a development player for the Sydney Kings. Make sure people are valued because you don’t win championships…with one or two players alone.

“It takes everyone to be involved and I think it’s the value and the coaches investing in people, are the things that help to create a healthy team dynamic.”

McIntyre and the Kings will open their second straight title defence against local rivals Illawarra on Saturday, September 30.