Cooks: Elite Talent Driving Record Numbers

Interest around the NBL is higher than it has been in recent memory, and with the NBL23 Championship Series set to begin this week the eyes on the competition only look set to grow.

Released statistics show that an almost 50 per cent increase in viewership has seen the NBL outrate most NBA broadcasts, and reach across ESPN and Kayo has boomed to 1.4 million people.

Xavier Cooks has established himself as one of the premier players in the competition over the past two seasons, and the 27-year-old says the added interest and excitement around the Kings is palpable.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&#39;&#39;This year we have arrived&quot; ?<br><br>NBL owner Larry Kestelman has his say on the dramatic ??% ???????? in viewership across <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> ?<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/3KBIviMNKJ">https://t.co/3KBIviMNKJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/6yPULpEBoy">pic.twitter.com/6yPULpEBoy</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1630006574084390918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“I have friends that aren’t even basketball fans that have been watching all the games,” Cooks said.

“I saw a stat today that it’s up [46] per cent on television viewing. That’s huge.

“It’s huge for the league, it’s huge for the players, huge for the teams, and you can tell.

“Adelaide had great crowds this year, we had great crowds, Brisbane was terrible but they had good crowds – it’s been pretty crazy.”

Cooks – much like the rest of his Sydney teammates and Breakers counterparts – experienced an extra week off ahead of the Championship Series due to the FIBA qualification break that saw a number of NBL-led sides produce big wins.

While he’s represented the Boomers before, Cooks wasn't selected for the nation’s historic bronze medal winning performance at the Tokyo Olympics – a moment he sees as the catalyst for increased interest in the NBL this season.

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“I think it started with the Boomers getting the bronze medal,” he said. “That drew the love for basketball in Australia.

“[With] the talent in this league every game is competitive. There’s a lot of talent around here and people are really enjoying it.”

A large contingent of that talent is contained within the New Zealand Breakers’ roster. Whether it’s import stars like Jarrell Brantley, Barry Brown Jr and Dererk Pardon, or local favourites like Will McDowell-White or Tom Abercrombie, the Kings are prepared for a tough battle against the competition’s second ranked side.

With New Zealand forging the foundation for its strong season on the defensive end of the floor, Cooks has been left with no doubt as to where this series will likely be won.

“It’s going to be a defensive series,” he said. “They’re (the Breakers) a great defensive team and so are we. It’s really going to come down to that end and matching their intensity.

“They’re a physical team and it’s going to be a good battle, I’m really excited for it.

“I’m a sore loser so the thought of losing makes me nervous, but it’s basketball at the end of the day.

“There are a lot of stakes right now, but it’s still basketball.”

Game 1 of the NBL23 Championship Series tips off on Friday, March 3, live and free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies at 7:30pm AEDT.