His coach thinks he’s ready for the NBA. He’s topping his team’s scoring average and as captain has led the Sydney Kings to the top of the NBL table.
But Kevin Lisch still has time for the kids.
Lisch has been assigned to the St George and Sutherland basketball associations this season as part of the ‘Inspire the Next Generation’ initiative from the Kings and Basketball NSW.
And with good reason. The American-born guard has a personal connection to the shire with his wife, former Sydney Flames WNBL player Rachel Watman, from Sutherland.
Lisch has already made a big impression south of the bridge and was part of the Kings’ ‘So You Think You Can Play’ school visit to St Aloysuis Catholic Primary School, Cronulla on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old told the Leader while the young basketball talent in the area was good, the enthusiasm for the game was even more special.
“There’s definitely a lot of talented kids. But whether you’re talented or not I just love seeing kids going out there, running around and having fun. I think it’s just great to see,” he said.
“I think the facts show that basketball is one of the most participated in sports in Australia. So the numbers are out there and I think it comes down to making that personal connection to these kids.
“And not just because I’m the captain, it’s every guy on our team [getting out there]. We enjoy that about basketball because it’s a unique thing, we all still feel like kids at heart. We play a sport for a living. I think we can connect to the kids better than a lot of people.”
The Kings’ blistering start to the season under new coach Andrew Gaze hasn’t got Lisch – the league’s reigning MVP – thinking too far ahead. But working under Gaze, his own personal form and the form of the team have given him reason to be content.
“To be honest I really didn’t know what to expect [this season] and I try to not let myself and the team get ahead of ourselves in that respect,” he said.
“Obviously it’s a great place to be [at the top of the league] but there’s a lot more basketball to be played and a lot for our team to get better at.
“[For me] it’s just about being consistent. Some games are different. Sometimes it means scoring and sometimes passing. I think the overall thing with our team is we have a lot of guys who can contribute in different ways and I’m happy to just be a piece of that puzzle.
“[Gaze is] so much fun to play basketball for. Just because you feel there’s genuine joy every time you go out on the court and you’re around him. And he absolutely loves it. He wears his emotions on his sleeve which we absolutely love. He’s just so much fun to play for and full of a wealth of knowledge.”
Lisch was granted Australian citizenship in March, in time to represent the Boomers at the Rio Olympics and the 188-centimetre tall guard was thrilled with the experience.
“I was fortunate to be surrounded by just a great group of guys. It was just so much fun to be around them. Obviously the basketball part we were pretty successful but with the people watching, just being able to be in an Olympic atmosphere was pretty cool,” he said.
“You walk in the dining hall and it’s [full of] the best athletes in the world. I went to other sports as well [but] you can’t really pick out one thing and say ‘wow’ because the whole thing was kind of like [that]. So it was just a wonderful experience.”