Stateside, basketball is the go-to glamour game, with its own huge stars as well as the constant courtside presence of obsessed A-listers: think Bey and Jay-Z, the entire Kardashian coterie, Matt Damon, Justin Timberlake, Cameron Diaz and a horde more. The NBA screams showbiz – and every game's a party.
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Not to be outdone, Australia's NBL games are becoming the place to be seen this season, and on Thursday the Sydney Kings clash with league leaders Cairns Taipans at the Qantas Credit Union Arena is set to be quite the show.
Hot DJ gals The Faders will provide the soundtrack and a celebrity match at halftime for the non-profit Save our Sons will put the likes of Ada Nicodemou, Brendan Jones, Home and Away's Andrew Morley and boxer Billy "The Kid" Dib through their paces.
Authentic American glamour comes from Kings import Kendrick Perry, who will line up as starting Point Guard against his childhood friend from Florida, Taipans star Scottie Wilbekin.
"We had two good wins in our last two games, and I'm focused on being my best in this next one," says the 21-year-old, who has been dubbed a human highlights reel, and an excitement machine, by sports commentators since he arrived three months ago.
He is eagerly anticipating the courtside atmosphere on Thursday, too. "If we can get the crowd excited and involved then we can really feed off their energy," he says.
The Faders, AKA Milly Gattegno and Suhana Lye, are equally inspired by the big game. "We are huge fans and love sitting courtside at the Kings games," Gattegno told S. "We are so excited that we'll not only be watching the game this time, but playing during the show. We think our R&B and hip-hop jams are just what the boys need."
Meanwhile, with Thanksgiving approaching, as well as all this United States-style glitz surrounding the upcoming game, Kendrick Perry admits to a pang of homesickness. In fact, he's wondering if he and fellow US Kings import Josh Childress might have to cook up a Thanksgiving feast themselves. "My go to dish is jambalaya," he says. 'But I've never cooked it for anyone but myself. I think we could create something pretty good, though."
Stand by for a new MasterChef with mad slam-dunking skills.
Sydney Kings V Cairns Taipans: Thursday 20 Nov, 7:30pm, Qantas Credit Union Arena (formerly Entertainment Centre)
