Barlow breaks down what it takes to win a Championship

When David Barlow ended his NBL playing career, he finished as one of the league’s most successful players ever.

The NBL’s all-time leader in Grand Final games played (29), Barlow won five Championships across his 14 years in the league.

Now in his second year as an Assistant Coach and heading into another Playoff Series, Barlow looked at the common traits shared by his previous Championship teams.

 “Looking at what’s unique about the Championship winning teams I’ve been a part of is that they’re filled with brilliant people that you're desperate to succeed for,” he explained.

“What made those groups and people unique were a mix of factors. Talent for starters, you can’t be a Championship team without being really good at basketball.

"There’s toughness and competitiveness. Talented players who are tough as hell and are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. Players that when it came down to the biggest moments, you could rely on them.

“They’re intelligent, super smart, with an understanding of exactly what to do in the heat of battle to win the game, and being tough enough to execute it.

“I think depth is really important in finals runs. If I look back on all the teams I had success on, the benches had a lot of talent and were capable of coming on and making a hell of an impact on winning games.

“I look at those teams and we were all ready to die for one another. That’s what makes those teams special, we were willing to do whatever it took to succeed for each other.”

The only way to make sure you’re there for every step of our Playoff journey is by securing your seat to Game 1 of our matchup with the Perth Wildcats on Thursday 27 February at John Cain Arena from 7:30pm. 

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