It’ll be great — we’re excited to get out there and play, obviously for me personally to play against the boys I’ve grown up with. – Joe Ingles
SALT LAKE CITY — When the Utah Jazz open their preseason schedule Monday night against the Sydney Kings, it will not only mark their first game of the 2017-18 season, but a couple of other significant “firsts” as well.
It will mark the first-ever home game against a non-NBA foreign professional team when they play host to the Australian team (the Jazz played Real Madrid in Spain in 2009) from the National Basketball League. It will also be the first game in the refurbished Vivint Smart Home Arena (7 p.m.), which underwent $125 million in renovations during the offseason.
The game is one of three preseason NBA games involving Australian professional teams — Oklahoma City and Phoenix host the others this month. Utah has a strong Australian connection with Joe Ingles and Dante Exum, who both grew up in Australia.
“Obviously it’s great for both sides,” said Ingles, “for our team getting ready and preparing for the season and the Kings’ boys. Those guys have the opportunity to play in our arena as well and hopefully in future years.”
Ingles, who celebrated his 30th birthday Sunday, has been in the NBA since 2014 after five years in the Euroleague. Before that he played professionally in Australia and said he’s “proud” of his Australian heritage.
“Everyone back home will be watching, so hopefully it’s a good game,” Ingles said. “It’ll be great — we’re excited to get out there and play, obviously for me personally to play against the boys I’ve grown up with.”
Ingles was referring specifically to Brad Newley, the Kings’ forward who led the team with 17.5 points and 4.9 rebounds a game last year. The two have known each other since “Grade 8” as Newley put it, and they attended the same high school.
“I’ve known Brad forever,” said Ingles. “We went to the same school, both played in NBL, both went to Europe and played in Spain together and obviously with the Australian team for 10 years or so. We have a lot of history, so it will be good to go out there against him again.”
Newley said it’s exciting how far Ingles has come since they played together in Australia and again in Spain.
“He’s done very well and it’s good to see a fellow South Australian do very well on the international scene,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of games with Joe and a little bit with Dante, so it’s going to be fun to get back out there and see where their games are. I’m looking forward to going out there and having fun and doing my best.”
Exum, who is eight years younger than Ingles, doesn’t have as much history with Australian basketball as Ingles. In fact when he was asked if any players on the Kings team had been an influence on him, he said flatly, “Um, no.”
At least he was honest, even with several of the Kings players sitting in the back of the interview room. He did say that growing up, Newley was one of the players he looked up to, along with David Barlow, who plays for Melbourne. Exum says he feels it’s a meaningful game for his country.
“It’s a big game, not just for the Kings, but for Australian basketball,” said Exum. “They have an opportunity to showcase and show what they’ve been doing over there, so hopefully this creates a step in the right direction for Australian basketball.”
Also on the Kings’ roster is rookie Dane Pineau, who has played several games in Utah with the Saint Mary’s basketball team, including regular-season contests in Provo against BYU and in the NCAA Tournament last March at Vivint Arena.
While the Kings have to return home Tuesday and get ready for their season-opener Saturday night, the Jazz will play two more games this week, Wednesday against Maccabi Haifa from Israel and Friday against the Phoenix Suns. Then next week, the Jazz will play two games on the road, at Phoenix Monday and the L.A. Clippers Tuesday. The regular season-opener is Oct. 18 against Denver.