Shaun Bruce is the first player to resign from the Sydney Kings since coach Brian Goorjian’s amazing comeback.
Following his two-year contract extension with the team, the 33-year-old Bruce will continue to play for Harbourside until at least 2026, according to the statement.
The seasoned guard, who joined the Kings in 2019, has participated in 161 games. During their two championship campaigns under Chase Buford, he was a consistent member of the backcourt rotation.
Regarding his “easy decision” to resign, Bruce stated, “I’ve really loved my time here in Sydney and there’s nowhere else I’d rather play.”
“I love how the Kings put you in a position right away, and now that Goorj is involved, it won’t be any different. I’m excited about it.”
“It’s been a fun ride so far and I’m excited to see how far we can push it in the coming years.”
Bruce hopes to replicate their championship magic after suffering a heartbreaking loss to the New Zealand Breakers in the play-ins earlier this month. He joins Alex Toohey, Angus Glover, Jackson Makoi, and Klairus Amir in the upcoming team.
Jaylin Galloway, a small forward, has already said goodbye to the Kings after agreeing to a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA last week.
Less than a week after Mahmoud Abdelfattah was fired, NBL coaching icon Goorjian signed a three-year contract to rejoin the Sydney squad.
The Kings are hoping that the appointment of six-time championship-winning coach Goorjian will instantly reposition them as title contenders.
Goorjian, who is currently in charge of Australia’s national team, led Sydney to three titles in a row between 2003 and 2005.
The Kings were chasing their third straight championship this year when they collapsed after a 7-3 start, winning only six of their last 19 games.
Regarding the disappointing conclusion to the Kings’ season, Bruce stated, “Our expectation doesn’t change – we’ll all use this time to refresh before coming back with the mindset to win another title.”
Chris Pongrass, the chief executive of the Kings, stated that the two-season agreement was an obvious choice.
“Brucey is entrenched in this club’s DNA and someone we want around long into the future,” Pongrass stated.
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