"Hungry for a championship": Bul Kuol is relishing his next chapter in Sydney

After representing South Sudan with pride at Paris, Bul Kuol is ready to be a key player for a resurgent Sydney Kings

Arguably no other NBL team had an offseason as impressive as the Sydney Kings, who completed a major roster overhaul as they try to shake off a disappointing 2023/24 campaign. This time, they’re led by Brian Goorjian, who returns to the club where he has already won three titles.

One of the pivotal pieces they acquired was Bul Kuol, a 27-year-old South Sudanese Australian wing who established himself as one of the NBL’s elite perimeter defenders last season, weaponising his length and athleticism to stay in front of opposition wings. He fits into the valuable ‘three and D’ prototype and had the best three-point percentage (41%) among all players who took at least five three-point shots per game, per Spatial Jam. He promises to give the team a high-level catch-and-shoot option and a constant threat in transition.

Credit: Sydney Kings/Syd Nepomuceno

While the South East Melbourne Phoenix, Illawarra Hawks and New Zealand Breakers were all reportedly interested in acquiring his services, Kuol tells The Pick and Roll making the move to Sydney on a three-year deal with a mutual option was an easy choice. The team are now widely tipped as a major championship contender.

“I mean, Sydney had a lot of things going on,” he reflects. “It's a well-established organisation that wants to win multiple championships; every year, they want to win, and they always set themselves up to win. They got a great coach and brought in some great guys.

“I'm hungry for a championship, and I think Sydney put the best argument forward for that, so I wanted to be a part of it.”

Kuol’s strengths: versatility and defence