Forde's Added Desire to Defeat Sydney Explained

Adam Forde has looked to cool any discussion of bad blood between himself and the Sydney Kings in the lead-up to the Playoff series between the Kings and Taipans, however it would be remiss to not suggest the potential for some heightened emotion and meaning for the Cairns head coach in the lead-up to the series.

Forde – who led Cairns to a 18-10 record and third on the ladder this season – spent one season at the helm of the Kings before departing the organisation at the end of NBL21.

After leaving Perth for an opportunity to expand his knowledge as an assistant under Will Weaver, Forde took the reigns of the side ahead of the NBL21 campaign. They would go on to finish with a 19-17 record and finish just shy of the Playoffs.

Since then the Kings have re-established themselves a one of the powerhouses in the NBL having won last season’s championship before topping the ladder in NBL23.

Speaking on NBL Overtime Liam Santamaria believes there is almost definitely some extra emotion for Forde entering this clash.

“There would surely be a feeling of ‘alright, now I get a three-game series against the defending champs, my former team who are on top of the ladder and in the end didn’t want me around’,” Santamaria said.

“I don’t think he’ll say so but it’s there.

“He went to the Kings under Will Weaver and then Weaver bounced, so he was the head coach. After that season they went their separate ways – I think if that decision was all Adam Forde’s he would have stayed.”

 “There was an element of the Kings saying ‘I think this is best if we go in different directions’.”

RELATED: Adam Forde - NBL Born and Bred

Given the recency with which the Forde coached Sydney a large contingent of that NBL21 side which he oversaw still ply their trade in Sydney – not least newly minted league MVP Xavier Cooks.

The other players who remain with the Kings from Forde’s season in charge are DJ Vasiljevic, Jordi Hunter, Angus Glover, Shaun Bruce, while former player Daniel Kickert has since taken up and assistant coaching role with the organisation.

“On top of that [he’ll be saying] ‘I know these players. I really know their strengths and weaknesses for real,” former NBL MVP Corey Williams added.

“He’d be really locked in and just telling his team what they need to do, how they do it and what to be consistent in.”

Forde’s time in charge of the Kings was wrought with roadblocks and challenges – the same roadblocks and challenges the whole world was facing at the time. The challenge of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Forde – who was raised in Perth and cut his teeth at the Wildcats – was forced to depart his young family for the opportunity to lead his own side, and that turned into staying away for the bulk of a year.

“I counted [the time I spent with my family]. It was a total of 56 hours and that was purely because in the few times I did get back I flew home then flew back out to Sydney in the same day,” Forde told The Pick and Roll in 2021.

“Everything was FaceTime … that’s where it hits the heartstrings, where Kylie (Forde’s wife) would say Carter (his son) was tapping at the phone because he wants to call you.”

The Adam Forde led Taipans kick off their Playoff Series against the Kings at Qudos Bank Arena on Wednesday night, live on ESPN via Kayo Freebies.