Joe Ingles Returns to Melbourne United, Signs NBL Deal

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Joe Ingles Signs with Melbourne United in Homecoming Move

Australian basketball star Joe Ingles is making a significant return to his roots, signing with Melbourne United in the National Basketball League (NBL). Ingles, now 38, began his standout professional career with the South Dragons in Melbourne, where he earned Rookie of the Year honors and won an NBL title in 2009. Following his initial success, Ingles expanded his career to Europe, playing for notable teams including Granada, Barcelona, and Maccabi Tel Aviv. He spent the next 12 years in the NBA with teams such as Utah, Milwaukee, Orlando, and Minnesota. Notably, he was runner-up for the NBA's 6th Man of the Year award in 2021 and remains Utah’s all-time leader in three-point shots made. Ingles has also been a crucial part of the Australian national team, the Boomers, participating in four FIBA World Cups and five Olympics, clinching a historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Games.

Gordon Herbert to Coach New Zealand Breakers

In other NBL news, World Cup-winning coach Gordon Herbert has been appointed to lead the New Zealand Breakers. Herbert achieved international recognition by guiding the German national team to victory at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and securing a bronze medal at Eurobasket the prior year. He stepped down following a commendable fourth-place finish with Germany at the Paris Olympics. Herbert's coaching career includes successful stints at the club level, winning Bundesliga titles with Skyliners Frankfurt and Bayern Munich and a French Cup with Paulak Ortiz. His experience also includes coaching roles with Wurtzburg, Auris, and Alba Berlin, as well as an assistant coaching position with the Toronto Raptors. Currently serving as the head coach of the Canadian national team, which he will lead in the next World Cup in Qatar and the upcoming LA Games in 2028, Herbert's appointment signals an ambitious step forward for the Breakers.