Few other rivalries spark the intense heat that the rivalry between the Illawarra Hawks and the Sydney Kings generates.  Take a look at history. 

Clashes between the two clubs over the years have often become physical and some of those clashes over the years are talked about to this day …. many involving Kings guard and now Fox Sports commentator Shane Heal. Yet there has been many famous and infamous moments over the years.

Hawks fans fondly remember the dunk from the Hawks player and now club general manager Mat Campbell, throwing down a jam on the head of Kings import AC Earl at the Snakepit in the ‘90s. There was the grand final series were the Kings smashed the Hawks ….. but we don’t talk about that.The Kings have also often used the Illawarra as a happy hunting ground, walking in to poach many of our players most notably club MVP Kevin Lisch and Hawks great Glen Saville … but we don’t talk about that either. 

The New South Wales national basketball derby always delivers. The Kings now feature Hawks fans’ least favourite human in Jerome Randle who endeared himself to the Illawarra faithful by tagging the club “dirty” while playing for Adelaide. Randle aside, Kings big man Andrew Bogut would have to be one of the most polarising figures in Australian sport and is quickly moving up the list of the Illawarra’s least loved. And then of course there’s Lisch, who was plucked by the Kings after becoming an Illawarra hometown favourite.

This new-look Illawarra has rejuvenated its season though and will not take a backwards step. Todd Blanchfield and Brian Conklin have led from the front this season and feature in a special heroes and villains front page to promote Sunday’s clash at the WIN Entertainment Centre. Last time these two teams met in Sydney, the Hawks were soundly spanked.

Well, it’s payback time ……

Get along on Sunday and get loud. Make sure you give the purple filth the most Illawarra of welcomes. 

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