Vitas Gerulaitis famously said nobody beats him 17 times in a row when he finally got the better of fellow 1970s tennis playboy Bjorn Borg.
The Sydney Kings ended their own 16-match losing streak on Thursday night when they broke their drought against their nemesis team, the Perth Wildcats.
It was one of the best games of the NBL season. The joint was officially a jumpin'.
Kings import Josh Childress showed his class with a stacked stat line of 17 points, 10 rebounds, seven steals and four blocks.
Kings fans immediately started to dream of a finals charge.
It's not impossible, improbable or even implausible. But whose record would you prefer - that of Borg or Gerulaitis?
The Swede won 11 grand slam titles, Broadway Vitas just one.
Don't give up Sydney fans. It was great to see a large crowd buzzing, giving the Wildcats the kind of referee-influencing hostile environment that they usually experience to their great benefit in Perth.
But the trouble is the Kings are just as likely to dish up a dud performance as another hot one when they next hit the court in Melbourne on Sunday.
Sydney have knocked off NBL big guns Cairns, New Zealand and now Perth in recent outings but just last week they dropped a game in Wollongong to the last-placed Hawks. Legitimate title contenders don't lose to teams that have lost 12 of their previous encounters.
The Kings will be dogged by the perception that they're a one-man team. They can't escape it. Childress is far and away the best player in the league. He's having perhaps the must statistically dominant season in the NBL's 35-year history. He's a strong chance to lead the league in points, rebounds and blocks.
In what is potentially the best news for the franchise, and likely the entire league, in a very long time, Childress last week revealed to Fairfax Media that he was a chance of sticking around after this season. That would be a massive vote of confidence in the Kings and the NBL because his bank account will no longer be propped up by Phoenix Suns amnesty millions after this season and Childress could still earn much more in Europe or even find a role in the right NBA squad.
Rather than continually denying they rely too much on Childress, the challenge for coach Damian Cotter and the support cast is to ensure the rest of the team complements his skills.
Ben Madgen is the Kings' only other consistently dependable offensive threat.
Point guard Kendrick Perry and bench forward Cody Ellis can hit shots when they get a hot hand but too often it seems they prolong the shooter's mentality of keep shooting until they start to drop when they'd be better served trying to get Childress the ball.
On defence, Tom Garlepp is also a strong ally for Childress while fellow tall timbers Angus Brandt and Josh Duinker have potent but are young and still learning the not-so-delicate art of banging bodies in that area of the court covered in paint.
It'd be encouraging for the team to see Sydney's fickle sporting fan base to believe the hype surrounding Childress and get to the Kingdome to see what all the fuss is about.
It's worth noting the time the Lithuanian Lion conquered Borg was in an exhibition match, not a grand slam of importance.
If the Sydneysiders want to be the kings of the jungle when big stakes are on the line come playoff time, they have to lift their game to a new level or the better-equipped opponent will win more often than not. Different court, different net but same principle.
