The Star has come on board to work closely with the Kings to promote its venue as Sydney’s premier entertainment destination featuring one of the best viewing platforms in the city.

In return the Sydney Kings will provide guests for The Star with celebrity/VIP options that will include courtside and exclusive behind-the-scenes game experiences.

This Foundation level partnership places The Star in the upper tier of the Sydney Kings sponsorship family, reflecting both the importance of the partnership and the potential for its further growth.

Sydney Kings Managing Director Jeff Van Groningen is excited about what the partnership brings. He said: “Both The Star and our organisation are leading providers of high-quality entertainment. We thought there was a great synergy there. The significance of The Star in the Sydney landscape cannot be overstated and with us being the city’s professional basketball team, this is a great fit.”

The Star Sydney Managing Director, Greg Hawkins said: “The Kings are an iconic Sydney brand and The Star also prides itself on our local spirit focus and our growing position as Sydney’s premier place to play. We are delighted to support The Kings by becoming an official partner.

“The Sydney Kings and The Star have all the makings for a fantastic partnership. We will be bringing The Star brand to life courtside on game day, plus fans can soak up all the action at our 24/7 Sports Bar, Sydney’s home of sport.

“The Star is pleased to continue to expand our strong affiliation with sports, as represented by our various partnerships including Premier Partner and Official Entertainment Venue Partner of the Sydney Swans, Official Partner of the Sydney Sixers and Official Partner of the NSW Blues, as well as our partnership with the Australia Open Golf and Sydney Festival.”

The agreement is initially for one year with The Star having first option to renew after the 2016/17 season finishes. The Star becomes a welcome addition to a select group of Foundation Partners of the Sydney Kings who continue this season’s success both on and off the court.

It only gets better for The Kings with former NBA player Steve Blake joining the club two days ago, a resounding win last night over arch rivals Illawarra Hawks, and the team currently sitting at the top of the NBL ladder. This is the best start for The Kings since the 2007-2008 season and the fans are returning en masse, delivering crowd averages well above those of recent years.