Cooks stirred for spicy duel with Hawks
SYDNEY swingman Xavier Cooks hated the Kings as a kid growing up in Wollongong.
Cooks spent hours watching dad Eric coach and his brother Dominique play for Illawarra.
“I was a passionate Hawks fan,” Cooks said. “I pretty much went to every home game and training session. I was that little kid who was always around the Hawks growing up. I obviously wasn’t the biggest fan of the Kings. I remember when we had Kevin Lisch and he went up to Sydney, I hated that man.
“So, I definitely feel the rivalry.” On Saturday night, Cooks will help the Kings try to take down his hometown Hawks in a blockbuster local derby at Qudos Bank Arena.
He will always have a soft spot for Illawarra, but he says his heart is with Sydney and is even prepared to cop boos from his family and friends, like he did in 2019.
“I remember the first time I played against the Hawks as a King in Wollongong,” he said. “I was coming back from an injury, so I was excited to play, but I was welcomed back by a bunch of boos.
“I’m really close with a lot of the Hawks boys like Emmett (Naar), Lachie Dent and even Duop (Reath) from the Boomers program.
“I’ve got a lot of boys on that Hawks team, but once we cross those lines there are no more friendships out there. Basketball at the end of the day is a business.
“I have nothing but love for the Hawks, but I’m a King right now and I love the Kings - it is what it is.”
Rivalry aside, Cooks is pumped to play in such a marquee local derby.
The Hawks versus Kings clashes have always been competitive, but the intensity and quality is set to reach new heights this season with both teams billed as championship contenders.
Cooks believes the derby hasn’t been this evenly matched in years, with the likes of Tyler Harvey and Duop Reath from Illawarra going up against Sydney stars RJ Hunter and Jarell Martin.
“I think that is great for the state of NSW and it’s great for both teams’ fans to get around the rivalry,” he said.