When the Utah Jazz open their preseason schedule Monday night against the Sydney Kings, Brad Newley will be sure to ignore Joe Ingles when he begins his inevitable banter on the court.

Of course, growing up together in Australia, the two have known each other for close to a lifetime. Newley is the sharpshooting 6-foot-6 small forward and leader for the Kings. Ingles and Dante Exum are two examples of the recent influx of Australian basketball in the NBA.

Together, Ingles and Newley have helped put Australia on the worldwide basketball map. They’ve played in leagues around the globe. They’ve been teammates, seemingly forever, in the Olympics, in national tournaments and on club teams. So, for Ingles and Exum, meeting the Kings on Monday at Vivint Smart Home Arena is nothing short of a family reunion.

“It’s obviously a great thing for both sides,” Ingles said. “We’re getting ready and preparing for the season. And for us to have a chance to go against some good players is a great thing. It’s going to be great for everyone back home watching, and hopefully it will be a great game. I think it’s going to be a great time for everyone.”

The emergence of Australian basketball has been a couple of decades in the making. It started almost three decades ago with people like current Kings coach Andrew Gaze — who led Seton Hall to the 1989 NCAA title game — and Shane Heal, the diminutive point guard who played so well against Dream Team II in the 1996 Olympics.

It’s continued with people like Andrew Bogut, for whom most Utah Utes fans need no introduction. Now, Australia is well represented in the NBA, from Ingles and Exum, to Patty Mills and Ben Simmons, to Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker.

“It’s an exciting game for out club, and it’s a big step for us to be on the international stage,” Newley said. “It’s been impressive for the kids coming out and doing well. It shows the quality of our junior clubs, and hopefully we can keep the pipeline going.”

Ingles, Exum and the Kings want to use Monday’s game as a celebration of Australian hoops. Newley and Ingles, who went to high school together, had dinner with one another on Saturday night. Ingles and Exum greeted the Kings on Sunday after the Jazz practiced.

“It’s a big game,” Exum said. “Not just for the Kings but for Australian basketball. Hopefully, this creates another step in the right direction for introducing Australian basketball to the NBA.”

The Jazz will have three preseason games this week, but just five overall before their regular season opener against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 18. That puts every game at a premium. Utah needs to figure out its playing rotation, who will be in it, who won’t. The Jazz will also need to integrate a lot of new faces.

“We’ve only got five games and we need to use these games and get ready for the regular season,” Ingles said. “Everyone over the next five games will get an opportunity. Guys will get what they get minutes wise, and they will get a chance to show why they are here.”