NBL MVP Xavier Cooks has made his NBA debut for the Washington Wizards just hours after having his first workout with the team.
Key points:
- Cooks came off the bench in the Washington Wizards’ loss to the Sacramento Kings
- He helped the Sydney Kings wrap up the NBL championship series on Wednesday night
- Cooks faced fellow Australian Matthew Dellavedova in his NBA debut
Cooks was playing just four days after leading the Sydney Kings to a second consecutive NBL title with victory over the New Zealand Breakers in game five of the championship series.
He came off the bench for four minutes in the Wizards’ 132-118 home loss to the high-flying Sacramento Kings.
“Another guy with size, athleticism,” Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr told reporters, who revealed Cooks had his first session with the team in the morning.
“He’s got the versatility to defend multiple positions.”
The Wizards (32-38) sit 11th in the eastern conference as they battle for a spot among the seventh to 10th-placed teams who will contest the NBA Play-In tournament.
Cooks’s fellow Australian Matthew Dellavedova got a rare cameo off the bench for the Kings, nailing a three-pointer in his four minutes on court for the Kings.
The 32-year-old Dellavedova returned to the competition last year from Melbourne United and is attempting to help another team to an NBA championship after playing alongside LeBron James in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ triumphant 2015/16 season.
AP/AAP
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