The 2025–26 NBL Finals are set to ignite, with two of the league’s most potent teams going head to head in a best-of-five series. Whichever side prevails, it will be the first finals meeting between these clubs in league history.
Watch live coverage of NBL and WNBL 2025-26 seasons with ESPN on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
This matchup has been building for the past 12 months, shaped by off-court tension between the Adelaide 36ers and star guard Kendric Davis. What began as friction has grown into a genuine rivalry, now reaching its peak on the biggest stage. So, how did we get here?
DAVIS AND THE 36ERS
In his debut NBL season, Davis quickly established himself as one of the competition’s elite. Playing for the Adelaide 36ers, he averaged 25.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game, finishing second in MVP voting behind Bryce Cotton.
It was a season of both brilliance and tension. Davis was involved in several flashpoints, including a widely-reported locker room clash with head coach Mike Wells, where he stepped in to back a teammate during criticism.
There were also on-court run-ins with former 36ers import Montrezl Harrell, with tensions spilling into the public. The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year labelled Davis a “bitter ex” in a pre-season interview.
Aussie NBL Champion joins Bronny James with NBA G League move
Harrell’s comments followed Davis’ exit from Adelaide, a situation the guard later addressed on NBL Nowlast June.
“So, we started contract talks with Adelaide in February and we came to an agreement, then they disappeared. They just ghosted me during the season,” Davis said.
“I was calling like, ‘What’s going on? I want to be a 36er. What’s going on? I love the community.’
“And they ghosted me. Then, the day before I had to leave for China, they tried to put a contract in front of me and force me to sign it after three months of silence. I said, ‘No, now I’m gone. Let me see my family before I sign anything.’
“They came to see me in China and said, ‘Are you going to sign or not?’ I said, ‘Yeah, but it’s not going to be on your time now. When you had the chance, you let me walk out the door.’”
The two sides eventually parted ways, with Davis signing for the Sydney Kings. The move worked out for both parties.
In his first return to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Davis was met with heavy boos but had the last word, leading Sydney to a 103–79 win.
The back-and-forth with Harrell lingered into the early part of the next season, including shots fired on Instagram Live, though that tension has since cooled as both moved on.
Harrell posts furious rant at Davis | 00:48
THE MVP RACE DRAMA
For the past two seasons, the MVP race has effectively been a duel between Cotton and Davis. In his first year, Davis fell short, polling 82 votes to Cotton’s 119 despite historic production.
A year later, the script flipped in an unexpected way. Davis joined Sydney, while Cotton made a high-profile move to Adelaide. Both delivered standout seasons again, but the margin tightened dramatically.
Cotton claimed his sixth MVP, edging Davis 96–94.
The result sparked controversy. Davis took to Instagram Live, voicing frustration and calling for changes to the voting system, even taking aim at commentator Derek Rucker. His case centred around Sydney’s 3–1 record over Adelaide in the regular season, where Cotton averaged just 16.3 points on 36.7 per cent shooting, well below his usual standard.
In a Code Sports article, it was revealed that Davis also had a financial incentive in his contract tied to winning MVP, a detail that may have added to his frustration on the night.
2025–26 season averages:
Cotton: 25.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 43.8% shooting
Davis: 24.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 47.5% shooting
Despite the noise around the award, Cotton’s season still warranted recognition. By the following morning, Davis had shifted focus, making it clear his priority was the championship, calling it “something they can’t vote on”.
There is clear respect between the two guards, but it only sharpens the edge of what is shaping as one of the great individual battles in NBL finals history.
Kendric Davis lashes out after MVP snub | 00:43
OFF-COURT DRAMA
The rivalry extended beyond the court in February, when Sydney assistant coach Andrew Bogut weighed in on reports of a players-only meeting within Adelaide discussing the future of coach Mike Wells.
His comments sparked a response from 36ers owner Grant Kelley, who criticised Bogut for speaking publicly due to having minority shares in the Kings organisation.
“Oh look, Andrew Bogut tweeted something about two hours ago, which in the interest of not sort of broadcasting nonsense I won’t go into, but look I just thought it was very unfortunate for an assistant coach of another club to do that,” Kelley said on The FIVEAA Sports Show.
While Sydney reportedly issued an apology to general manager Matt Weston, Bogut himself did not.
Now, all of it, the fallout, the rivalry, the near-misses, leads here. A finals series that has been a year in the making, with everything on the line.
Game 1 of the best-of-five series tips off tomorrow, 21 March at 7pm AEDT at Qudos Bank Arena.
NBL off-season player tracker: All the stars who have signed overseas deals