Kings vs Hawks: Ep. 7 — The Hawks' 2nd Title and The Rivalry Today

We wrap up our seven-part deep dive into one of Aussie hoops' fiercest rivalries — Sydney vs Illawarra — as the modern era turns the heat all the way up and the Freeway Series swings wildly from season to season.

Host Dan Boyce picks things up after the Hawks' rebirth under new ownership and Brian Goorjian, a fresh start that quickly turns into a brutal reality check — including the worst season in franchise history (3–25) — before the club pulls off one of the great turnarounds in recent NBL history, storming back to win their second NBL championship.

From there, the rivalry doesn't cool off — it escalates. We track the on-court blowouts, the nail-biters, the flashpoints, and the personality clashes that only seem to grow when these two clubs share the same building. We also hit Goorjian's return to Sydney, and bring it right up to today, where the Kings and Hawks have traded sweeps in back-to-back seasons, and the balance of power has flipped yet again heading into the current finals series.

Topics include:

• The Hawks v Kings semi-finals series in 2023 (2:00)

• The Kings' rise under Chase Buford and how their championship window re-opened (12:00)

• Illawarra's post-Goorjian transition, the roster drain, Hawks injuries woes, and the worst season ever (25:00)

• Hawks V Kings becomes must see Christmas viewing (45:00)

• The Hawks claim their 2nd championship (49:00)

• The rivalry today and what it means to many Hawks/Kings legends (108:00)

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