Ian Clark hasn’t lost in a Kings jersey. He wants to keep it that way
When NBA championship-winning guard Ian Clark arrived at the Sydney Kings in early February, he didn’t realise he would be the second oldest player on the roster.
The former Golden State Warrior, who played 330 NBA games, has become an instant leader in a team which has edged into championship favouritism off the back of 10 wins in a row.
Ex-NBA import Ian Clark in the Sydney Kings 10th-straight win, against the Tasmanian JackJumpers in Hobart on April 3.Credit:Steve Bell/Getty Images
“It’s kind of a new role for me,” he said. “I’ve embraced it, the guys joke around and call me the older guy, they call me the OG … but when we’re in the locker room and in practice I try to make my voice heard a little bit more and just help.
“I’m just being myself. I’m a competitor – I like to play, I like to compete, and I like to win.”
Whatever the 31-year-old is doing, it is working. The Kings haven’t lost since securing Clark as a replacement for the injured RJ Hunter back in February and will play for their 11th straight win against the 36ers in Adelaide on Saturday.
Coach Chase Buford said Clark’s competitiveness and professionalism has had an immeasurable impact on his talented but inexperienced players.
“He’s been there, he’s done it, and they immediately have that respect for when he speaks,” he said. “He makes us better both in games and off the floor, and we’re just really lucky he chose to come play with us.”
On the court, Clark and returning point guard Jaylen Adams have reignited the Kings offence and led their charge to joint top of the NBL table.
“The last few weeks especially we’ve been able to really unlock the offence a little bit more and use our defence to get easy buckets,” he said. “I think we’re in a situation now where we don’t lose much with different line-ups on the floor.”
The Kings are now favourites to claim their first NBL championship since 2005.
Clark, who played a crucial role off the bench in the Warriors’ record-breaking run to the 2016/17 NBA championship, said this Kings lineup bore the hallmarks of a team with championship DNA.
“We’ve found in our groove, honestly,” he said. “We’ve got a great group of guys that trust one another, we believe in one another, but we also hold each other accountable.”
In Clark’s sights is Matthew Dellavedova’s Melbourne United, who lead the league on point differential only.
“They’re No.1 in the league, so they’re definitely one of the teams that we have on our radar,” he said, adding he has learned in his short time in Australia that there are no easy wins in this league.
“Every team can get a win on any given night, so I don’t try to look too much in the future and worry about how we’re going to play down the line,” he said. “I try to take it day by day game by game and just go from there.”
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