Jersey swap sparks 1998 title memories

Generations collided at the Adelaide 36ers Arena this week as the club honours the 1998 NBL championship success.

Championship heroes Mark Davis and Rupert Sapwell brought back memories of the past with the original 1998 uniform present at training.

Sapwell, who mostly wore no.14 throughout his 359-game career, swapped jerseys with current no.14 Kyrin Galloway to see the different fits from decades past.

“This is definitely a throwback, it’s all stitched on, and this is really big,” Galloway said after modelling Sapwell’s 1998 championship jersey.

“It’s a little coarse, but I could play in it.

“I feel the kit would pick my mid-range game up a little bit and some good old fashioned two hand dunks.

“I’d have some real solid fundamentals in that jersey.”

And Galloway loved the number 14 on the kit as well.

“The 14 is probably top three numbers of all time, in all sports,” he said.

Adelaide 36ers legend Davis and current combo guard Ian Clark swapped stories of days gone by as the NBL23 Heritage Round jerseys were put on show.

SUCCESSFUL MAGIC TRICK

Adelaide finished the 1998 regular season with a strong 19-11 win-loss record, but that was only good enough for second place in the standings.

The Brian Goorjian-led South East Melbourne Magic were the powerhouse during the 30-game campaign, finishing with a 26-4 record, which included a clean sweep of wins against the 36ers.

“South East Melbourne Magic were so dominant all throughout that season, it was really them then daylight,” Sapwell said.

“But I remember we played them a couple of games before the finals and maybe we had a few out and we still got close to them.

“Then when we won that first game (of the grand final series 100-93 at the Clipsal Powerhouse) at home maybe there was some shock, but to go on and win that second game as comprehensively as we did, that was the shocking part.”

Adelaide won game two 90-62 at Melbourne Park and kept the Magic to the lowest ever score in an NBL grand final.

“Everyone knew we had a great offensive team, you know Brett Maher, Martin Cattalini, John Rille, Kevin Brooks, the MVP, we had some guys who could put points on the board,” Sapwell said.

“But it was our defence which was really overlooked and the defence we played when it counted was critical.”

Davis said the roster clicked during the season and built towards the playoff campaign.

“The only thing you want is a group of guys who are comfortable around each other,” Davis said.

“Every year I thought we had a shot at it, but then (in 1998) I thought ‘this is it’.”

The 1987 NBL MVP said the addition of star import duo Kevin Brooks and Darnell Mee were the final pieces to the puzzle.

“When they came, and they had a little history with each other being good friends, you knew that this might be a good opportunity for us,” Davis said.

“We had a group of guys who were willing to make sacrifices for each other but were very hungry for what happens after that.”

TIME GOES FAST FOR HEROES

Sapwell said the 1998 grand final series feels like it was yesterday at times when looking back on the championship success which broke a 12-year drought for the club.

 “Those 25 years have gone by very quickly, too quickly for many of us,” Sapwell said.

“Thankfully a lot of the guys are still around Adelaide, so we get to catchup regularly.

“There were a lot of emotions around that championship, the first one in 12 years, so it was great to be a part of it.”

Davis, who one the first of his three NBL championships in just his second season in 1986, spent more than a decade in a 36ers singlet, waiting for title number two.

“The thing is I thought there was going to be another time and an opportunity, but it’s all about going through the process,” Davis said.

“I was fortunate enough to get that feeling again 12 years later and I got to say it’s a long time between drinks.”

RETRO FITS FOR ALL

Sapwell said his 1998 NBL grand final uniform, which he found in storage, brought back memories of the championship win, but the material might be questionable.

“Sometimes I don’t understand how we wore this,” Sapwell said.

“Some of it feels like wearing cardboard, but the best thing was it felt better the more you sweated.”

Davis, who modelled the warm-up jacket, said he couldn’t believe he wore the uniform.

“Wow, I don’t really remember wearing this, but we must have,” Davis said.

Sapwell added the commemorative uniform the NBL23 roster is wearing has a better fit.

“This new jersey is a lot more comfortable than the old one,” Sapwell said.

“It’s pride, but there no more pride to see any 36er jersey out there doing there best for the city and the sport

“It’s great to have the old jersey out there, but ultimately is about the club, not what they’re wearing.”

GRAND IDEA OF SHAVING HEADS

After defeating the Perth Wildcats 2-0 in the semi-final series to qualify for the big dance, the team decided to shave their heads for the Magic showdown.

Led by star import Kevin Brooks, the team all lost their locks before the opening game of the series and there were mixed reactions to the exercise.

“It was KB (Brooks) and Darnell (Mee) who came up with the idea, but they already had nice tight cuts,” Sapwell said.

“But, the good news about shaving my head back then is that when people compare the 51-year-old Rupert to the 27-year-old Rupert, I actually don’t look that much different.

“No I haven’t lost all my hair, I’m still shaving it.”

Davis said shaving the heads brought the group even closer together than what they already were.

“I’m sure the guys who had the history of having long hair were reluctant but at the end of the day this happens for a life, so what a great sacrifice,” Davis said.

“Even I had a bit up there then, so I got rid of that and took it off.”