Basketball On The Internet.

ODE TO THE KINGDOME
By Matt McQuade

(Originally run on December 9 at the sydneykings website)

Sunday December 13, 2015, will be a significant milestone in the history of the Sydney Kings.

For on that day, a game against the Perth Wildcats, the team will take to the floor at the Kingdome in Darling Harbour for the very last time.

The games played in that building, the atmosphere it generated and of course some of the mighty players who strode on the Kingdome floor – from Steve Carfino, Damian Keogh, Marc Ridlen and Mark Dalton; to Dwayne McClain and Kenny McClary; Leon Trimmingham then Shane Heal, Isaac Burton and Bruce Bolden; to Matthew Nielsen, Chris Williams, Jason Smith, CJ Bruton, Ebi Ere, and Mark Worthington during the Kings’ Golden Age; to recent stars like Ben Madgen and Josh Childress – all of that will soon be consigned to history.

After 303 regular season games, 28 playoff games, five Grand Finals and three championships, the building is set to be demolished early next year.

The Mike Wrublewski Stand, the John Farnham Room, the stage, the dressing rooms, the foyer, the purple seats, all of it – gone.

And when I first started writing this article, I was surprised at how emotional I became.

Buildings come and go, after all. They are just a collection of concrete, steel and copper when broken down to their basest elements.

And let’s face it, this particular building was never the most attractive, to put it mildly.

From the outside, it’s really a bit of a concrete monstrosity. Those interested in architecture have called it various names over the years, none of them flattering.

So why get emotional, right? It’s just another ugly building that needed tearing down.

But for basketball in this city, this place was Sydney’s beating heart, in a perfect location next to Chinatown, and nothing beat those nights when a big crowd gathered to see the Kings play.

When you walked through those doors, especially when there was an important Kings’ game on, something magical happened. There’s always been that different vibe in the building, a feeling you get when you sit in those purple seats and take in an auditorium that once it’s finally closed will have hosted events for over 27 million people.

Watching a basketball game was always a great experience because of the outstanding sightlines from any seat in the building. And anyone who has seen a concert there would attest to the great acoustics in the place – when it was packed for a Kings’ playoff game, the noise would roll around and at times almost physically assault you, such was its power.

Then there have been the banners – back in the day, the giant ‘The Challenge Has Just Begun!’ at the stage end of the court. Or the men whose photographs adorn the Sydney Kings Legends banners now hanging there – champions all. And of course the three flags honouring those championship victories. It always gave me chills to look down that end of the court and take it all in.

Being at the Kingdome has also been about those shared experiences as a fan. The people you spend time with at that great building with one common purpose – to cheer the Kings to victory. The friendships you make that have lasted decades.

And over the years I went from being a fan in the stands to working on the Kings’ media bench then calling games for NBL.TV, ABC Radio and Sydney Kings Radio. I can honestly say I’ve been in virtually every room in that building.

I’ve also seen every single Kings game in the venue – bar one – since Mike Wrublewski took that crazy gamble in 1990 to move a basketball team in to what was then the largest indoor stadium in the city.

And that one game I missed was due to the fact I was laid up in St Vincent’s Hospital – try as I might, they refused to let me out to see the Kings play the Wildcats.

These are all reasons why I feel like a piece of me will die along with the Kingdome once the Sydney Kings play their final game at the venue.

Hyperbole? Maybe. But maybe I’m also emotional because the Sydney Entertainment Centre – now the Qantas Credit Union Arena – has been such an enormous part of my life, not just with the Kings but for all the other events I’ve seen there over the past three decades.

From concerts and conferences to the Harlem Globetrotters and Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s Traveling Daedals, and a game between the Australian Boomers and the awesome Soviet Union in 1987 – a night that proved you could attract 10,000 people to a basketball game in Sydney – the Kingdome is definitely one of those special places.

But in the end, the biggest connection I have with the place is about the Sydney Kings. It’s all about supporting the purple and gold and this wild rollercoaster ride they’ve taken me on at that incredible venue.

It’s about the great memories in that building since 1990.

I remember the excitement at the first game, and the disappointment of losing to Andrew Gaze and the Melbourne Tigers.

I remember the first ever sellout against the Brisbane Bullets, a game where basketball in this city took the Leap.

I remember the first time I ever saw Dwayne McClain in a Sydney Kings uniform at the Kingdome, a place he owned for three seasons.

I remember the D-Train scything his way through traffic and swishing a buzzer beater to knock off the Adelaide 36ers in 1992.

I remember a special Friday night that same year when more than 10,000 people took the atmosphere at the Kingdome to a whole new level, roaring themselves hoarse as the Kings beat the Melbourne Tigers 124-118 in Game Two of the semi-finals.

I remember Leon Trimmingham becoming this country’s version of the Human Highlight Film himself, Dominique Wilkins.

I remember seeing the Kings hit 15 of 18 three point shots in a playoff game against North Melbourne in 1994.

I remember watching Shane Heal, Isaac Burton, Melvin Thomas and Bruce Bolden putting on an incredible offensive show each night in 1996.

I remember seeing a wild and sometimes out of control youngster in Matthew Nielsen begin his career for the team he would wind up representing so magnificently.

I remember when Brian Goorjian strode on to the Kingdome floor for the first time and feeling like this team was going to be very hard to beat with the mighty ‘Goorj’ calling the shots.

I remember when the Kings came back from an impossible deficit in Game One of the 2003 Grand Final series and stunned the Perth Wildcats on the way to their first championship.

I remember watching the Kings launch another amazing comeback to beat the Brisbane Bullets in Game One of the 2004 semi-finals.

I remember 48 seconds of magic from Ebi Ere (below).

I remember ‘Goorj’ pounding his chest after Game Five of that unbelievable Grand Final series and screaming at the crowd “Yes! Yes! Yes!” and ‘Big Heart! Big Heart!”

I remember bear-hugging Chris Carrawell on the floor in what were chaotic scenes.

I remember Jason Smith playing the greatest game of his stellar career as the Kings closed out the Wollongong Hawks in Game Three of the most one-sided NBL Grand Final series of all time in 2005.

I remember an incredible 2007/2008 season, when the Kings lost just once at home and went 27-3 overall in the regular season.

I remember the first game at the Kingdome back from the wilderness, when the Lion appeared to the strains of 2001 A Space Odyssey and nearly 10,000 fans went absolutely crazy.

I remember Mike Wrublewski’s unbelievable passion.

I remember the great on-court entertainment. The Harlequins. The singing cowboy on a real horse on the court. The trapeze artist high above the floor. The Lion doing a bellyflop on a plastic crocodile. The Berocca beach ball. The Court Jester. The Best Dressed and Best Banner halftime competitions. The celebrities.

I remember the best court announcer in NBL history, Rodney ‘The Voice’ Overby, exhorting the fans to “Give it to me Sydney!”

I remember the hard-working men and women behind the scenes. Like Lee Kessler and Sarah Smith, two wonderful people who worked for the Entertainment Centre for decades and had great passion and commitment for both the venue and the Kings. Lorraine Landon, John Davidson, Max Hobbs and Amanda Gilbert, who over many years made sure that game nights went off without a hitch.

I remember the passionate – and sometimes crazy – fans. Like Jim Meredith, a lawyer by trade, who used to sit behind me in the early 1990s and yell his head off at Lindsay Gaze and the officials – mostly in a very intelligent and funny way. David Reed, the original president of the Sydney Kings Fan Club, who like me was there every game but died before seeing the Kings win their first championship. Bob Fallon, David’s friend and a man who has been there since the beginning. Richard Bradley, who with his wife Deborah took over the Fan Club before heading to the bench as the team’s assistant manager. Charlotte Dawson, a wonderful lady who was a great fan of the team. Dan and Marni Ewing, a pair of basketball tragics who from day one have been outstanding ambassadors for the Kings. And so many more.

And I remember the disappointment too.

The injury to Steve Carfino when he slipped on an on-court decal and ended his career. Losing to the Tigers in the 1992 semi-finals. The Violet Crumble era. Giving up 147 points to the Adelaide 36ers in a game when fans walked out in disgust. The Grand Final losses to Melbourne in 2006 and 2008 – particularly the last one. The historic home losing streak.

The losing and disappointment; that sick feeling you get in the pit of your stomach – it’s only because you have great passion and love for the team. And the emotion I’m feeling now is only because I’ve spent a great deal of my life in the building that will forever be known as the Kingdome and the fact it’s going to be demolished is hard to take.

But enough about my memories. This is a building that has impacted the lives of so many in a variety of ways. Let’s hear about what the Kingdome means to other people.

BRIAN GOORJIAN (Head Coach, 2003-2008)

“I have so many wonderful memories about events that took place at the Kingdome – really too many to do justice in a few sentences. I guess a lasting memory is of my very last game at the Kingdome when we were playing the Melbourne Tigers in Game 5 of the 2007/2008 Grand Final Series.”

“About two hours before tip-off, I was told that the ‘house full’ sign had been placed outside the venue which was just amazing, when you consider the Sydney public had less than 48 hours to get their tickets which were not cheap and the game was going to be live on TV. I was truly overwhelmed at the support this town had for us. I wanted to hug each person there to thank them so much for coming out to cheer us on. I can still remember the roar of the crowd as the guys were about to run out and to this day it gives me goose bumps when I think about it.”

“THANK YOU SYDNEY – special place, special people, special team, special town – I am always in your debt.”

DWAYNE MCCLAIN (Player, 1991-1993)

“My fondest memory of the Sydney Entertainment Centre is a game we played against Adelaide when the recording artist, formerly known as Prince, was in attendance. The night before the game, I was at a function with Prince and his band so I invited them to attend the game. Prince said to me “If I come to the game, you better put on a show.”

“As fate would have it, we were down by one with seven seconds to play. I got the ball, raced down the court and hit a game winner in the lane. The Kingdome was going crazy as I ran by Prince’s box underneath the basket. As we celebrated our victory, Prince said “that was one hell of a show”. The following night, Prince invited me to watch him perform at the Entertainment Centre where he also put on an incredible show!”

BRAD ROSEN (Player, 1995-1999; Assistant Coach, 2002-2004)

“It’s really difficult for me to put in words what the Kings and the Kingdome have meant to me, given that I started supporting the team as a kid in the stands, then became a court-wiper, made the train-on squad as a development player, played for and captained the team, then was lucky enough to be involved as an assistant coach in two championships.”

“As a fan, the one that comes to mind is the Dwayne McClain left-hand runner versus Adelaide to win the game. That was phenomenal.”

“As a player, I would say the thing that most stands out for me is my first ever game, where I got to go out in front of 10,500 people at the Kingdome against the Melbourne Tigers. I got called into the game and Andrew Gaze gave me a high five and wished me luck. I still get goose bumps when I think about the greatest ever player to lace up boots in Australia giving me five and wishing me luck. And he was on the other team! Just a class act and a special moment.”

“I will also never forget the very last game that I ever played at the Sydney Entertainment Centre (which was actually the last game before we went to the Superdome) against West Sydney. We won that game when no one expected us to win. It’s not a major highlight as far as wins and losses go but there was just so much involved in that game and it was an awesome win.”

“As an assistant coach, there is no doubt the greatest game that I was ever involved was against the West Sydney Razorbacks in Game Five of the 2003/2004 Grand Final series. We were down and out and West Sydney was playing fantastic, and then Ebi Ere went nuts and we won the game. It was just brilliant and I was so happy for a guy that I played with for so long in Matt Nielsen who got his championship (and I know he was involved in the year before but this was the one when he was the man) and he was MVP of the season. It was absolutely brilliant stuff and one I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

DAN EWING (Fan/Kings Ambassador, 1995-present)

“I can’t imagine not being able to put on my Kings jersey and head to the Kingdome for a game of basketball. Whether it was a win, a loss (or occasional overtime!) you knew it was going to be a great night. My wife and I got engaged on that floor and took our little boy to his first game there. How great it will be to be able to tell him he walked the same court as so many legends of the game.”

“I was there when they won their first championship in 2003, when they won the three-peat in 2005, I was there when we broke the drought in 2011 and I was there when they were welcomed back into the league after a devastating year-long break in 2010. You’ve given me 20 years of memories, big fella. Cheers.”

MARK DALTON (Player, 1988-1995)

“The Sydney Entertainment Centre to me was all about the fans. We played hard for them and they gave back in spades. It was awesome to see that support for the team and the game. To catch up upstairs after the game and meet everyone, then kick on at the Pumphouse next door and celebrate with them, was awesome. It was one big party and I enjoyed every minute of it. The fans made the Kingdome what it was, and I thank them for all their support during that time.”

BOB TURNER (Head Coach, 1989-1995; Former Owner & GM)

“My favourite moment at the Sydney Entertainment Centre was in 1987 when we toured the Soviet Union to play the Boomers in a six game, six city test series. We opened the SEC to basketball and had to fly in a portable basketball court, backboards and scoreboard, so logistically it was a challenge.”

“On the day of the game I walked into the Stadium and saw two people sitting in the very back row at the deepest part of the building. I knew basketball was the winner on that day as the people were sitting there because they were the only seats available. The game was followed by another Soviet tour and game at the SEC the following year. Two years later I was fortunate to be the Coach of the Kings at the first NBL game in the ‘Kingdome’.”

WARREN ROSEN (Assistant Coach, 2011-2012; 2013-2014)

“Other than being an assistant coach of this great team, my biggest and fondest memory of the Kingdome is my wife Linda going into labour at a game – we were standing right above the Mike Wrublewski Stand, 19 and a half years ago, watching the Kings play the Perth Wildcats, with my brother Brad playing for the Kings. The game went into overtime, so I said to Linda “Honey, you’re going to have to cross your legs, because we’re not going!” We ended up leaving straight after the game and my son Jordan was born six hours later. And he came with us to the game a week later, and really has never left – now all these years later he’s doing some work for the Kings on game nights as well, which is amazing.”

DANNY KORDAHI (Fan, 1988-present)

“There have been so many incredible memories for me, but the one I most remember was in 1992. After losing Game One of the semi-finals in Melbourne the Kings returned home for Game Two at the Entertainment Centre. The place was a sell out and the crowd was going crazy from tip off until the final buzzer – a game the Kings won – which set us up for a dramatic Game Three showdown of some of the best players to hit our shores.”

“Melbourne boasted arguably one of the best Australian players the country has ever produced in Andrew Gaze along with his partner in crime Lanard Copeland and fellow import Dave Simmons – father of future No1 Draft Pick Ben Simmons. The Sydney Kings too were stacked with one of the most talented imports to play in Australia – Dwayne McClain along with the ‘Chief’ Ken McClary and talented Aussie guard Damian ‘Threeo’ Keogh.”

“I remember being courtside when the players ran out onto the court and you couldn’t even hear the person next to you speak. The noise was deafening and the atmosphere was electric. Unfortunately we lost that game but it definitely put the Sydney Kings on the sporting map in Sydney. I remember the end of the game when it was evident that we would lose and you could hear a pin drop. The crowd was devastated and we had to wait just over a decade to finally win that elusive championship trophy.”

DAMIAN KEOGH (Player, 1988-1995)

“I remember watching a Dire Straits concert at the Entertainment Centre in the mid 80’s and thinking how good would it be to play basketball here. In 1987 and 1988 I played with the Boomers against the mighty Soviet Union team in sold out exhibition games at the venue which was a great highlight. When the Kings moved there in 1990 we were all nervous about how big the crowds would be.”

“It didn’t take long to take off. We had some great times in the early years but the 1992 season was a high water mark. We sold out 12 of 14 games for the season. Even though we lost in the third game against the Tigers in the playoffs in 1992 the noise on that Sunday afternoon was the best atmosphere I ever played in front of throughout my career. It was a special venue in the heart of the city and it is sad to see it going and not being replaced.”

MOOKIE SCHIRALLI (Sydney Kings Member, 1991-present; Kings Media Consultant 2012-2014)

“There are too many amazing experiences over the years at the Kingdome – many of which involved the D-Train, Matty Nielsen or the first championship winning team. However the moment that sticks out for me was that Game One in the 1994 quarterfinals when Greg Hubbard went 8/9 from deep, Damian Keogh 4/5 and Super Mario Donaldson 3/4 as we stunned the eventual champion North Melbourne Giants — that is not even to mention the constant highlight machine that was Leon Trimmingham!”

THE LION (Mascot, 1995-present)

“With a couple of decades to choose from there are so many wonderful memories. Surprisingly the first that comes to mind was at the end of season 2013/14, about an hour after the final game had concluded, I got a knock on my dressing room door. When I asked the person to come in, I was surprised to find it was Ben Madgen. He then presented me with the game ball that was signed by all the players. He said, “300 games is pretty special mate and the boys and I just want to acknowledge you as part of our team and to say well done and thanks.” I was truly touched by the gesture. I didn’t realise just how something so small could mean so much to me.”

MARNI EWING (Fan/Kings Ambassador, 2005-present)

“The first time I went to the Sydney Entertainment Centre, it was for a concert in 1995. I knew then that it was magical. I didn’t know, however, that I’d make some of my best memories there. That I would get engaged there, meet some of my best friends there, cheer like crazy for the team I love there, bring my little boy to his first basketball game there. All my memories of the Kingdome are special but none so much as seeing Archie run out on that court and pick up a basketball. The stories of twenty years of Kings’ home games; the wins, the losses, the heartbreaking close calls. The stories I’ll tell him later about a beautiful building where anything could happen, and some nights it did.”

Great memories all. So let’s all raise a glass to this amazing place, a building where so many of us have spent so much of our lives cheering our team on and being a part of something truly special.

Vale to the Kingdome. There will never be another building quite like it.

Gone soon, but never to be forgotten.