NBL24, the time for Valentine

NBL24, the time for Valentine

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

sydney kings

Sydney Kings' Denzel Valentine confirms he is in the right place to reach new heights.

Photo: Sydney Kings Media

Mark the date for Valentine’s day - that's right, Denzel Valentine’s first appearance in the NBL24 is fast approaching, and according to the star Sydney import, this will be a season for him to reach his “maximum potential.”

The Kings' newest recruit has made himself at home in NSW, and says working with a back-to-back championship squad is already doing wonders for him.

“I feel fully comfortable to reach my maximum potential, walking into that building everyday, knowing that I got the help I need to become the player I can become,” Valentine said on SEN’s The Jimmy Smith Show.

<iframe src="https://omny.fm/shows/nbl-podcasts/denzel-valentine-on-sen-august-22-2023/embed?style=artwork" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write" width="100%" height="180" frameborder="0" title="Denzel Valentine on SEN - August 22, 2023"></iframe>

Thanks to the Kings’ training and coaching facilities, Valentine’s game this season is set to reach new heights, even after a six-year stint in the NBA.

“I have everything I need to be playing at my highest level with the Kings,” he said.

“You can tell their first class with how they approach things, how they handle everything. [They’re] super professional and super organised.”

Prior to joining the league for the first time this year, the 29-year-old import had eyes on the NBL from afar. 

“I’ve seen the league grow, not even knowing outside of coming here, I’ve seen the NBL grow these last two-three years,” he said. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Listen to our guy <a href="https://twitter.com/denzelvalentine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@denzelvalentine</a> on the <a href="https://twitter.com/JimmySmithSEN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JimmySmithSEN</a> show ? <a href="https://t.co/XLTtMWXxbX">https://t.co/XLTtMWXxbX</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/5jJKkTMxPK">https://t.co/5jJKkTMxPK</a></p>&mdash; Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1693860936321568954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Valentine played for the Chicago Bulls from 2016-2021, before taking up a roster spot with both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz.

And while the Kings' success has made its mark on the 29-year-old already, a fellow face is also playing a role - coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah. 

“He lets you play, he has his rules his regulations as a coach – which every coach has – but I like him too because he’ll let you play and he’ll talk about the mistakes after.

“He not too overbearing as far as being a coach. Obviously with his [NBA] experience, he knows how to push players to be their best.”

Valentine will make his debut with the Sydney Kings in NBL24 on Saturday September 30.

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