They say that history is written by those who won. The Adelaide 36ers wrote their own version of history with an end-of-game lapse that cost them a championship while the Sydney Kings could not have written a better script for themselves.

The 2025–26 NBL season is now done. The Kings reigned victorious over the 36ers in a Finals series that went to overtime in a fifth game that predominantly looked like it was Adelaide’s to lose. The mere presence of the 36ers in the series could have been considered as miraculous on its own merit as their struggle to end the season in any sort of strength came close to derailing what was their best championship chance in a decade. They still persevered against a red-hot Kings team that had been undefeated for months to tie the series 2-2 and go for victory in game 5.

How different things could have been if not for some costly turnovers committed by the 36ers at the end of the fourth quarter. Maybe if that offensive rebound in the last few seconds of regulation had not erred to Tim Soares for an easy putback. There would have been destines changed with a legacy-defining play for Bryce Cotton which required him to make an extremely difficult game-winning lay-up at the buzzer.

Everything was to be written as it was. The 36ers made those turnovers, Soares made that putback, and Cotton missed that lay-up. The Kings obliterated the 36ers in overtime and it was over. The Kings were champions again. It was their third championship in five seasons. Head coach Brian Goorjian earned his seventh championship to further cement himself as the most accomplished coach in league history. Xavier Cooks, Jaylin Galloway and Shaun Bruce all earned their third championship as members of the Kings. Lastly, Kendric Davis received what he had hungered for and ultimately rightly earned: an MVP trophy (obviously not the regular season version but its Finals equivalent).

On the other side, there was an equal array of observances. 36ers coach Mike Wells — after having the best team in the league for the first half of the season — suddenly looked like his job was in jeopardy after failing in champion success. Cotton goes another year without a championship. Flynn Cameron lost his third Finals series in three years after losing as a member of Melbourne United the past two seasons. Dejan Vasiljevic put up one of his worst performances ever against his former team for whom he once vowed revenge. Losing is a tough feeling to process; it is worse when they knew that it was only a chance set of circumstances which cost them the win.

The 36ers-Kings series was truly deserved and there could have been no better match-up for the Finals. Davis led the 36ers to their first postseason appearance in eight years in 2025 as the runner-up for MVP and then left in circumstances that depend on whether the source is Davis or the 36ers. Regardless, Davis possessed misgivings that were only heightened when the 36ers replaced him with Cotton who was the individual responsible for Davis not getting that MVP. The two were again the standout players of the season: Cotton and the 36ers were the best team for the first half of the season and then were piqued by an undefeated Davis and the Kings for the last half of the season. The MVP ended up going to Cotton again and Davis made no efforts to hide his dismay. His confrontation of Cotton after the buzzer beater of game 2 was a stunning moment in a league where true rivalries often do not have the time nor means to properly develop. Davis claimed that it is now his time after leading the Kings to the championship; Cotton has never been one to back away from any type of competition.

There were other storylines besides the MVP claimants. There was Vasiljevic still desiring revenge for his perceived wrongdoing when he left the Kings and joined the 36ers three years ago. Goorjian had been offered the 36ers head coaching position in 2024 but turned it down; his refusal laid the path for Wells to be hired instead. The 36ers paid tribute to their former head coach Ken Cole who died during the postseason; he had led the 36ers to a championship and the best record of all time in 1986. There also was the petty nonsense happening between Kings assistant coach Andrew Bogut and 36ers owner Grant Kelley which added nothing and was an embarrassing furore. It was the real excellence that remained on the court with the storybook matchup between Cotton and Davis.

At the start of the season in September, I had predicted the Adelaide 36ers to reign supreme. I was close. I expected Melbourne United to finish as runners-up. I was far. I also predicted that the Brisbane Bullets would make the Finals. I was in nonexistence.

A season that once started with apparently equal footing gave way to two teams that were dominant for the whole year. It culminated in a great Finals series that will be one to remember. Here’s to NBL26 for what it was and what NBL27 will be.