New Sixer Kuol setting himself for new target

When Bul Kuol’s trade to the Adelaide 36ers went through, the 201cm guard had a moment of realization – that he’d no longer have to chase Bryce Cotton around the court.

Kuol was pursued by the Sixers to shore up their defensive end after becoming renowned for his competitiveness, tenacity and ability to shut down the best scorers, including Cotton.

Cotton was thrilled at Kuol’s signing, saying the South Sudanese 2025 Olympian’s addition would be “huge”, adding “I’m just so happy he’s not my problem anymore.”

Speaking to Adelaide 36ers Media after arriving in his new home city, Kuol revealed he had similar feelings, though it has taken some time to accept.

“I'm gonna have to find somebody else to chase now,” Kuol laughed.

“When I first signed with Adelaide, I had to sit down. I'm like ‘what just happened?’ Like the main target is gone now.

“He's been the face of the league. He's been doing this for so long and he's the guy that whenever we play him I, I act differently.

“I go to bed earlier, you know, I might watch a five-minute clip.

“You treat him very differently, the way you guard him. You’ve gotta be locked in and so it was a big adjustment mentally to accept that like, OK, I'm gonna be playing with this guy now rather than trying to hunt him down.

“But somebody else is gonna show up. That's why I love this game, because that new target, I'm going to have to figure them out and how they tick.

“I got the privilege of targeting Bryce for five years. I got to get used to him, so I'm looking forward to seeing who's next.”

Kuol’s move from the Sydney Kings to the side which they beat for the title in the NBL26 Championship series happened quickly, and while he has been rehabilitating from knee surgery.

The 29-year-old suffered an ACL injury in January while playing against the Sixers and he is aiming to return to the court around December.

He admitted it was not an easy decision to leave the Kings.

“I'm at a point in my career where I wanna be where I'm valued, and people still see what I can bring to the table,” Kuol explained.

“This injury did create a hiccup and kind of disturbed my goals and set me back in terms of what I can do right now, but it doesn't change who I am as a basketball player, and so Adelaide reached out and they can still see that vision, and we saw eye to eye in terms of my belief and what they see as well.

“They still see a player that can still do this at a high level and that's what I believe.  

“I believe I can actually use this time to basically recoup and get myself together.  I haven't had that in the last two years. I've been chasing my tail for the last two years, I haven't been healthy and so this is a blessing, to actually get myself together and so when my opportunity comes again, I'll be a better player and Adelaide saw that.

“They believed that and for me, once they communicated that and they did a really good job of communicating that ‘you're a priority and we want to get you’ and for me that's all I needed, and it was a pretty easy decision after that.”

Once the deal was done, Kuol made the decision to pack his things and get to Adelaide as soon as possible.

He wanted to use the off-season to meet the high performance team, build relationships and ensure there was a plan in place to get him back on the court.

“I've never been in this position,” he said. “This is unique, where I'm literally changing locations, changing teams, and I can't impact becoming a difference straight away.

“It's going to require some patience on both ends, like for myself and also from the Sixers and the fans.

“Just know that I'm putting in the work, and I'm doing everything that I need to do to get ready and so when the time comes, I'll be ready.

 “I won't be questioning myself.  I won't be in a position where I'm double minded. I'll give it everything I have.

“Right now, it's just day to day and just focusing on what I need to do and the opportunity to play will come, God willing. I can't control that, but the hope and the goal is that one day is gonna come and I'll play in front of those fans.”

And he is looking forward to being in the blue jersey when that time comes.

He described playing at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre as his number one atmosphere, even while in the wrong colours, and says he is eager to show the Sixers fans who he is, on and off the court.

“I'm someone that loves the game,” he explained.

“I've matured enough to be able to separate the game and who I am, so they'll see two different sides of me.

“Right now, I'm hurt and so I'm relaxed, I'm smiling a lot, enjoying the company of my teammates, you know, so that's that side of me is very different from the guy that's on the court.

“I think from (the fans’) point of view, they've seen the guy that's hunting Bryce last year, and now they get to see the other side of me for at least the next six months of like just loving the game, loving my teammates, just enjoying being a spectator.

“But then when that side of me comes out, when I'm able to step on that floor, I think it's gonna be a bit of a shocker because I can go from that to being very intense and just emotional, passionate.’

He said he felt he would fit right in with the Adelaide 36ers fans given their passion for the club and the game.

“I think they'll fit like a glove like because… they're very much similar to my personality,” he explained.

“I've been on the other side of it. They're hostile, they celebrate, they're anxious, they actually enjoy the game for what it is and that's the same approach that I bring.

“I love the game for what it is. It's simple, I love it, it's fun, it's enjoyable, it's competitive, and they want to win and that's me.”