Suns fan Thanasi Kokkinakis hoping for more banter with Celtics fan Nick Kyrgios if their teams meet in NBA 2023 final
Australian tennis players Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios are avid basketball fans.
Their love of the sport has been well documented in the Netflix series 'Break Point'. Fans were given an inside look at Kokkinakis and Kyrgios’ doubles title run at the 2022 Australian Open and treated to their fair share of NBA banter.
Kokkinakis, ranked No. 94 in the world, recently attended an NBA match between the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks, just hours after his 7-6(5), 6-4 win over Jiri Lehecka at the Arizona Tennis Classic.
Speaking to the ATP, Kokkinakis said he hopes his banter with Nick Kyrgios continues deep into the NBA season.
“He’s a big Celtics fan, they have a legit shot this year. They’ve got a very good team. I’m a big Suns fan, so they could match up in the NBA Finals. We talk a lot of (trash), we’ve roomed together for ages so we watch a lot of basketball together," he said.
The Bucks, who are leading the NBA’s Eastern Conference, defeated the Suns 116-104. Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo finished as the leading scorer with 36 points.
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios share a special bond
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios are the best of friends, on and off the court.
In the first episode of Netflix’s tennis docuseries 'Break Point', Kokkinakis and Kyrgios spoke about their close bond that makes playing together special.
"Me and him get along really well and we’re both very competitive. We’re not just together because we’re good at tennis and we play well on court together. We spend sh*tloads of times off the court just talking rubbish with each other. Having each other’s friendship and company is everything. When you have such a close bond with someone, you know what makes them tick," Thanasi Kokkinakis said.
"When I’m around Thanasi, I definitely feel comfortable and at home. That’s why we want to play doubles cause we can kind of just have fun. It’s a bit of a laugh and stress-free environment, which is hard to find, to be honest," Nick Kyrgios echoed.
At the 2023 Australian Open, Kokkinakis and Andy Murray played the second-longest match in the tournament's history, just eight minutes shy of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s epic five-hour-53-minute-long 2012 final.
Murray eventually won 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-5 in the wee hours of the morning.
Kyrgios took to social media to comfort his mate after the heartbreaking loss.
"I love you (Thanasi Kokkinakis). You did amazing bro head up you are playing sick tennis," he tweeted.
"Wish I could give you a big hug (bro)," he wrote on his Instagram story.