That's how championship coach Brendan Joyce remembers one of the most talked about and loved sporting moments in Illawarra sporting history.

The 2001 championship of the then Wollongong Hawks remains the only title in the history on the last remaining foundation club of the National Basketball League.

Read more: Hawks greats celebrate 20-year anniversary of club's only NBL title

In many ways the title is famously remembered for the free throws loved guard Damon Lowery managed to bounce in to win the semi-final series and make the grand finals against the now extinct Townsville Crocs.

The 20^th anniversary of the championship will be celebrated as part of the Hawks' clash with arch rivals Sydney Kings at the WEC on Saturday night. The premiership team will be presented to the crowd in an special pre-game presentation.

One person who won't be there is championship coach Brendan Joyce, who will be on NBL1 coaching duties with the Ballarat Miners in Tasmania.

Read more: Illawarra Hawks prepare to shutdown Kings star Casper Ware in Wollongong

On Friday though, coach Joyce took the time with the Illawarra Mercury to pay a personal tribute to the 13 players who contributed to the championship.

Mat Campbell: "Mat had been through the lows while trying to build a successful team. He came off the bench as a young guy and that year him and 'Sav' (Glen Saville) were co-captains and had developed to that point. Mat was the one I usually put on one of the best player defensively and his three-point shooting was important to us. He was a starter and played a really important role in our success."

Axel Dench: "You look at the way the game is played today. I thought we needed a big guy who could shoot from the perimeter, a guy who could stretch the floor. Axel was one of our best three-point shooters but his big challenge was to rebound. I actually wrote a private note to each player before game three of the grand final and in his I said he wins the rebounding and we win the game That was something he went out and did."

Luke Doherty: "Luke was the young guy on the team and every time he came on the floor play they'd play (the song) 'Who Let The Dogs Out'. His role was to get all over the best ball carriers and get us into our offence. He was one of those really important guys who accepted his role of not playing big minutes and did his role magnificently."

Matt Garrison: "Personality and character. I gave him the nickname 'Ace' because he reminded me of the guy who played Ace Venture in the movie (Jim Carrey). That name stuck. When things got serious and tight, he loosened things up. He came off the bench, which is really tough as an import to do, but was electric in giving us some quick points in some big games."

Grant Kruger: "The hard man of the team. He did a lot of the dirty work. He was a great rebounder. He could get a rebound every two minutes. He was physical, he always got a tough assignment and in game three in Perth (of the quarter finals) he shut down Paul Rogers."

Damon Lowery: "Lowery was another one of those personalities. He added chemistry and was a likeable extrovert. What was interesting was I was heavily criticised when I first signed him because he was 32 coming out of the CBA (Continental Basketball Association). I just said "wait and see". One thing you can't teach is quickness. In his first year we won the championship and he became a hero. I said to him after making those free throws they will never be forgotten. I knew he could beat players off the bounce in the NBL and he created havoc. He was one of the biggest contributors to our success and the crowd and community loved him."

Glen Saville: "He was our Scottie Pippen. He could rebound and defend. I used him to shut down point guards and his offensive game had started to peak. He hit threes, he had bounce and could play anywhere between 2-4. When he started out though we had to have a serious talk because his work ethic wasn't great. But Sav put in the work, became a dual Olympian and was our best allround player. He's one of the best players I've ever coached."

Matt Shanahan: "Matt's job was to hold up an end defensively and his major role was to come in and shoot. If we were behind he had a license to shoot. I'd yell at him for not shooting the ball and he came in and turned games. He was an important role player for us."

Melvin Thomas: "Melvin left Wollongong play with Sydney and Canberra chasing championships. The late Tom Penrose, who was like my Yoda, said 'if you want to win championship you've got to get Melvin back' and the opportunity came to recruit him. We sat down and laid out our expectations. Had reputation not preparing well for pre-season. I'd say Melvin Thomas is the best four man to ever play in the NBL. He was so versatile. His emotion was a positive. He would destroy any four man in the league playing today."

Charles Thomas: "Sunshine. I gave him that nickname after we took the team to watch Remember the Titans at the cinema. He reminded me of the quarterback in the movie. He saw good in everything and everyone. He made big shots for us in big situations. He was a tall point guard and I liked different sized guards ... still do to this day. he was one of the guys who would lift everybody up."

Kane Riley-Henderson: "A tradesman and he brought work ethic. Melvin hate training with him because he'd belt the crap out of Melvin and I told him too. He became a factor for some games just because he'd been going up against Melvin in training. He was a pretty good 11th man. He drove the standards."

Josh Woods: "Our 12^th man and his role was to provide some respite in training or off the bench but he brought some real intensity."

Ray Borner: "Ray was a replacement player for two games. We had a lot of injuries and a young team. I brought him in because he'd been there before and there we as a game against the Melbourne Tigers _ Gaze and Copeland _ and we smashed them. He said after the game 'you guys can win this (championship)'. And then he left us."

You see, it was destiny.

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