A basketball relationship and friendly rivalry spanning at least two decades will continue next week, when Brad Newley and Joe Ingles line up on opposing sides in a historic game.
Newley and his Sydney Kings side will play the Utah Jazz team including Ingles and another Australian, Dante Exum, in the first pre-season game between NBL and NBA sides.
The two South Australians attended the same high school and were Boomers teammates at two Olympics and two World Cups.
They played against each other for one season in the NBL and on a number of occasions in Europe, before Ingles landed an NBA contract and Newley returned to Australia.
"The last time we probably played each other would have been five or six years ago," Newley recalled.
"To come up up against an old friend of mine... we've both been to each other's weddings, we went to high school together, we know each other's families.
"To do that on this scale its a huge thing and we're just looking to continuing the friendly rivalry that we've had."
Asked if there would be trash talk between the two of them in Salt Lake City next Tuesday (AEST), Newley joked "probably just garbage not trash.
"Just ripping on each other about our hairstyles or something like that.
"I'm not really a a big talker out on the court , I'm more of a serious kind of approach, he's more laid back."
Newley predicted Ingles would play a larger role at Utah in the coming NBA season, his fourth with the Jazz.
"He'll be a key key player now considering the off season moves that Utah made with (Gordon) Hayward moving on (to Boston), so I think he'll have a bigger role, as will Dante, we can't forget about him either.
"He's had a huge summer. I've been keeping an eye on what he's been doing."
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