Aussie NBA great produces incredible act of sportsmanship as Illawarra Hawks end a 24-year drought
Aussie NBL star Matthew Dellavedova has wowed many by delivering one of the most incredible acts of sportsmanship.
It came after he was crowned the NBL championship series MVP, trumping rival Will Hickey of the Illawarra Hawks.
It came as the Hawks ended their 24-year wait to win the NBL on Sunday, besting Melbourne United in the winner-takes-all final 114-104.
NBL legend Larry Sengstock had announced that the Melbourne United guard Dellavedova had been crowned the MVP of the series and jeering subsequently rang out around the WIN Entertainment Centre.
While he had dazzled for Melbourne throughout the series, guard Will Hickey had starred in helping the Hawks seal victories in games four and five of the series.
He had also racked up 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in Sunday’s NBL showpiece.
Aussie NBL star Matthew Dellavedova has wowed many by delivering one of the most incredible acts of sportsmanship
He was crowned the NBL championship series MVP, trumping rival Will Hickey of the Illawarra Hawks but he proceeded to walk into the crowd where he handed Hickey his trophy
Hickey had enjoyed an excellent finals series notably scoring 21 points in the final match
But in a touching show of respect between two incredible players, Dellavedova who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings, immediately paid tribute to Hickey who is affectionately known as ‘Davo’.
‘Davo, this belongs to you,’ Hickey said.
‘You had a helluva series, congratulations on the win, to our boys thanks for a fun season, to our families, we appreciate everything you do, but Davo this is yours.’
He then proceeded to leave the stage and make his way towards Hickey who was standing in the crowd of Hawks players and family members.
Dellavedova shook the Hawks star’s hand before handing him the trophy.
It was a simply incredible moment that capped off a thrilling finals series, with Melbourne now having lost 3-2 in the finals two years in a row.
Illawarra have clinched a fairytale NBL title and left their coach lost for words with a 114-104 defeat of Melbourne United in the decisive fifth game of the championship series.
Hickey (21 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists) and Trey Kell (26 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists) starred in Wollongong as the wooden spooners two seasons ago completed a remarkable rags-to-riches turnaround.
Delladova shook the Hawks star’s hand before handing him the trophy on Sunday night
The championship is only the second in 47 years for the NBL’s last remaining foundation club, and first since 2001.
‘It’s an indescribable feeling,’ said coach Justin Tatum, who took charge of the team after a dismal 2-7 start to last season.
‘To see the enjoyment of the fans and everybody who’s originally from Illawarra, who’s been waiting for this for 23 plus years, that excites me more than anything.
‘Being able to see our team fight through adversity, that’s also the enjoyment. Words are tough right now but I’m happy.’
Sunday’s result sealed United’s second consecutive 3-2 championship series loss after the perennial heavyweights fell to the Tasmania JackJumpers in game five last year.
Devastated after last year’s series, United coach Dean Vickerman was level-headed this time around.
‘I’m really proud that we put ourselves in a position after last year to do it again,’ he said.
‘Yes, we’ve come up short, but certainly I don’t have the feeling from last year.
The Hawks ended a 24-year wait to win the title, with their victory on Sunday afternoon
‘We fought and battled as tough as we could but the big moments, they won them today.’
United came out of the blocks faster in this decider, hitting four of their first six attempts from deep and building a 10-point lead in the first quarter.
Hickey was inspirational for the Hawks with 12 first-quarter points after starting in place of Kell, who shone once he returned from the knee injury that rubbed him out of game four.
‘I texted Trey this morning and said: “Hey man, how are you feeling? How’s the knee after workouts yesterday?”,’ Tatum said.
“The first text back was, ‘I’m ready to win the trophy”.’
Illawarra would’ve held their breath when Kell hobbled after falling when Marcus Lee fouled him in the first quarter, but the American import played on.
Kell tied the game at 26 with a jump shot on the Hawks’ last possession of the first term before helping his side to a 12-2 run in the second that put them ahead.
Veteran Todd Blanchfield (eight points, three rebounds) beat the buzzer with his second three of the quarter to restore a 10-point lead for Illawarra at the half, and the home side never trailed again.
Hickey, left had enjoyed a hugely impressive finals series helping the Hawks seal wins in games four and five of the series
In the absence of injured centre Sam Froling, NBA prospect Lachlan Olbrich (12 points, four rebounds) was excellent as early foul trouble hampered fellow Hawks big man Mason Peatling.
Olbrich threw down a demoralising block on NBA champion Ian Clark (15 points) as United were scrambling for points in the third quarter.
He then put up a hook shot that gave Illawarra what was then a game-high 13-point lead.
Fighting to reassert themselves in the contest, United went more than five minutes in the third quarter without a field goal.
They missed seven consecutive attempts in that time, with star guard Dellavedova (five points, seven assists) also uncharacteristically butchering both free-throw attempts.
It didn’t help United’s cause that Lee and Clark spent time on the sidelines with apparent arm injuries in the third quarter.
Chris Goulding (21 points, three assists) finished as Melbourne’s top-scorer, with Shea Ili adding 20 on return from a concussion lay-off.
But when Kell raced down court for a lay-up that made it a 13-point game with 70 seconds remaining, the Hawks officially looked home.
‘You guys might’ve seen me jumping up and down about the two-minute mark, we were plus 10 up, somebody might’ve just made a lay-up or something and I got really animated,’ Tatum said.
‘I knew right then and there that we had it.’
