TRANSCRIPT
It's the final training session before the Sydney Kings can prove they're as good as it gets.
On the sideline is new head coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah, who's still settling into Australian life.
“I had to get used to the slang, the 'no dramas', the 'how you going', the 'R's are very silent, the 'R's are very silent so I'd misinterpret some of the words but the transition's been phenomenal”
He's the first Muslim or Palestinian coach to lead any major Australian team and he's no stranger to success, moving to Sydney from Houston, after winning the NBA G-league championship last year.
And he's well aware his purpose here transcends beyond just coaching the Kings.
“I know I'm impacting someone's life and the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing is to be able to be that role model that I was looking for growing up. Because it was always easier when you can relate to someone and there were no Muslims, no Palestinians I could reach out to via social media, to say, hey can you help me get in? Now, InshaAllah I can be that for others. I'm willing and open - just to be available, to talk to somebody if it's a message, if it's a phone call.”
They're without some of their key playmakers from last season's victory, like Xavier Cooks and Derek Walton Jr., but now in their roster are former NBA players Jonah Bolden and Denzel Valentine, who are hoping to create a spark for the Kings.
But ultimately it's faith that keeps Coach Abdelfattah grounded. He fasts every Monday and Thursday, abstaining from food or water from dusk until sunset. He also centres his life around his five daily prayers. He says the discipline instilled within Islam seep into his coaching - both consciously and unconsciously.
“I'm here, I'm fasting, I'm not thinking about food or water, it's just the mentality of being mentally strong and thats what I try to preach to these guys. Whatever you believe in, you've got to wake up every morning believing in something, whatever you have faith in, whether it's your work ethic, your family, your friends, your religion, for me it's my religion and I know what my religion does for my work, for my job.”
And it was his unwavering commitment to Islam that partly earned him the respect to get the top job, according to Paul Smith, who is club owner and chairman for the Sydney Kings.
“Mahmoud was very open and forward with his commitment to his faith, the expectations he has with the food he eats, the way he conducts himself, the language he uses and so on and so forth and I really respected that. I just think we're ready for this. I think it's been a challenge for us to establish ourselves with multicultural credentials in this sport. We feel we want to be a broad church that everyone can be a part of and we hope that Mahmoud can achieve that journey for us as we get started in that process.”
The Kings will kick off their NBL campaign this weekend where they’ll face the Illawarra Hawks in Wollongong, and the pressure will no doubt be on the new coach to deliver a win for the defending champions.
“It doesn't matter how many championships you win, doesn't matter how much success you have, you still feel it. Call it pressure, call it anxiety, call it stress, if you don't have it you're not ready to go. I'm ready to go, the players are ready to go and most of all, Mahmoud is ready to go.”
With faith and fire in their belly the Kings are looking to do what's only been accomplished twice in NBL history - shoot for a threepeat.
