MEET THE LEGENDS - SYDNEY KINGS
The Sydney Kings have been the reigning champions of the NBL leader board, and are only getting better with each game. Meet Shaun Bruce, Angus Glover, and Isaac Gattorna as they discuss their basketball journeys and what hard work means to them.
Hard Yakka is proud to be partnered with the legendary Sydney Kings. Both brands share a commitment to excellence and a passion for giving their all. As the Kings enter the NBL finals and strive for victory on the court, Hard Yakka will be behind them every step of the way.
Shaun, Angus and Isaac tell the story behind their professional NBL careers, and what motivates them to put in the hard work.
“I grew up in country Victoria, in a small town called Horsham and had two older brothers that are already involved in basketball and just wanted to follow in their footsteps.
I think my favourite part of playing basketball is being a part of a team and working on a common goal together. Coming in and being around motivated people who are all trying to achieve the same thing and win a championship, is also the funnest part!
My philosophy from a young age has always been that if it's easy, everyone would be doing it. And that's kind of been my motto coming through playing basketball professionally. The hard work is all a part of it.
Hard Yakka to me is just doing the jobs that nobody else wants to do, doing the stuff that's not easy. In order to get to your final goal, you have to get to do those little things.”
“I played basketball growing up as a kid but really I played all sports, I loved getting my hands on anything I could. As I got older, I just fell more and more in love with basketball. That's the path I chose, and I continued to work hard to get where I am today.
The winning is obviously always a fun part of playing basketball professionally. But putting in all the work to get those results, throughout the week or the year is also one of my favourite parts. Putting smiles on fans faces is also really great.
In terms of my work ethic, I try and keep a high standard and my philosophy is don't dwell on the past, and don't worry about the future. Just control what you can in the present.
I've done three ACL injuries, one of my right, two on my left, and then I did a ACL strain on my right on my fourth major injury, they were pretty tough. I didn't step on a court or play basketball for basically two years to go through surgery and then rehab, but being able to help a team win a championship after what I've been through meant a lot to me.”
“My old man was a basketball player. He played for England in the ‘68 and ‘72 Olympics. I was inspired to play because of him. He passed away when I was quite young, so it was a big factor for me to continue, it's my connection to him.
A big thing for my work ethic or philosophy is always just doing the most work really. I'm always trying to outwork everybody else. When you see everybody on a professional team, their work ethic is incredibly high. I'm trying to stand out, and do the most I can.
Hard work for me is separating myself from the crowd, you know, not being average and striving to be better than myself yesterday. Just making sure to work hard every day.
Three words that describe me as a player: tough, fast and relentless.”
Hard Yakka stands behind the Sydney Kings as they gear up for the upcoming finals series and beyond. Let the games begin!
