Lamonte Turner Joins Sydney Kings as Third Import for NBL Championship Push

Mid-season signing Lamonte Turner has joined the Sydney Kings as their third import, aiming to bolster the team’s backcourt and strengthen their push for an NBL championship. The 27-year-old American guard, who signed with the Kings last week, brings a wealth of experience from his collegiate and professional career, including stints in Europe and a standout tenure at the University of Tennessee.

Turner, a 188cm-tall pass-first point guard, has been in talks with the Kings for months. During that time, he studied game footage provided by head coach Brian Goorjian and his staff to familiarize himself with the team’s style of play. “I’d study the game film, let him know my thoughts on it, and talk about it back and forth,” Turner told AAP.

The Kings sent a scout to assess Turner during a workout in Providence, Rhode Island, where he impressed enough to secure the deal. Turner, who won the Southeastern Conference Sixth Man of the Year award during his sophomore year at Tennessee, is expected to ease the burden on star guard Jaylen Adams and provide a spark for the Kings’ offense.

Turner joins a revamped Kings roster that includes newcomers Xavier Cooks, Cam Oliver, Izayah Le’afa, and Bul Kuol. The team, currently holding a 13-9 record, has shown signs of cohesion after a shaky start to the season and is aiming for a top-two finish to secure automatic qualification for the playoffs.

Despite the pressure to perform, Turner remains confident. “If there is, it’s good pressure, the type of pressure you want being a good player, and I consider myself a good player,” he said. “You want to come into situations that are challenging where you need to focus and fit in with the guys.”

Turner is set to make his debut for the Kings against Melbourne United on Thursday night. He hopes to address one of the team’s key weaknesses: slow starts. “With my pace and my speed, I can definitely speed the game, help us get off to some great starts,” he said. “We finish the game great always, but sometimes we start the game a little slow, so hopefully, I can bring a spark.”

Off the court, Turner admitted to one fear as he settles into life in Australia: spiders. “I’m actually really scared of spiders,” he said. “I kind of got warned about the spiders, but I haven’t had to experience seeing any of that stuff yet. So far, so good.”