Alex Toohey's new dream: Sydney Kings eye NBL three-peat with NBA prospect

Game five of the NBL finals in March, watching from home as the Sydney Kings raised the NBL championship trophy once more.

"Watching it, it came into my mind that this is an opportunity for me at some point," Toohey said. "Seeing that was really eye-opening, thinking that could be me one day."

That day may not be so far away.

Toohey and the Sydney Kings will start their search for an NBL three-peat against the Illawarra Hawks in Wollongong on Saturday night.

MORE SPORT:

The Kings have won the past two championships and could become the first team to win three in a row since the New Zealand Breakers a decade ago - and the signature of this 19-year-old could go a long way towards helping them get there.

Toohey's signing has been hailed as a major coup for the NBL with the Canberra-born product projected to be a second round pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

He has been honing his craft at the NBA Global Academy and Basketball Australia's centre of excellence in Canberra since 2020, while playing for the COE in the NBL1 East competition.

The decision to spurn a commitment to play college basketball at Gonzaga has opened the door for Toohey - who has already represented the Boomers - to follow in the footsteps of Josh Giddey, who used the NBL's Next Stars program to catapult himself into the NBA.

"I was heading over to Gonzaga to play college basketball but some things changed and the opportunity with the Kings presented itself," Toohey said.

"They had an opening at my position, so we started talking to the Kings management and new coach Mahmoud [Abdelfattah, a former Houston Rockets assistant] so that was great to get in touch with them to see how invested they were in the club and their future.

"That was something I wanted to be a part of, and to go into a professional environment, there's nothing quite like it. I'm going straight into the deep end of professional life, and hopefully I'll be a pro for a long time, so I'll get used to it early.

"It feels awesome, obviously seeing them over the past two years go on and win championships has been really cool to see. This is the second ever opportunity for a three-peat [in Kings history], so a part of history.

"Everyone is going to do their little bit to chip in and help the team win. If we can get it done, that would be super cool."

So how does it feel knowing the eyes of a league - and NBA scouts - will be watching Toohey's every move this season?

There has to be a degree of pressure, even if the rising star is seemingly destined for great things, and maybe even a hint of nerves.

"I wouldn't say I could define it. I think it's probably a mix of both, getting closer to game time I'll probably feel a bit more adrenaline," Toohey said.

"Being in this environment, being around pros and being able to learn from them, I realise this is my job now and this is what I'm getting paid to do. That's cool and it has kind of flipped a switch in me to prioritise little things off the court and on the court.

"How much I've matured [has changed]."

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.