Goorjian chalks up 850 combined NBL games

The amazing career of Brian Goorjian shows no signs of slowing down, with the legend set to chalk up his 850th game in the NBL this Thursday, when his Kings battle Melbourne United at Qudos Bank Arena.

Goorjian, who played 24 matches with the Melbourne Tigers and has 825 games to his name as coach, is the first to ever bring up this milestone during the competition's 46-year history - with Lindsay Gaze (651) second on the list.

"To be truthful, with everything that's gone on in my life since COVD, milestones like this catch me and make you think 'wow, that's a lot of games, a lot of longevity and a lot of good times'," said Goorjian, who's won six titles during his coaching tenure.

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"It makes you reflect on the journey and all the teams and players you've been lucky enough to cross paths with, while also reminding yourself how good life is right now back at the Kings and the present situation the NBL and basketball in this country are in.

"It's great seeing where those former players and colleagues are now in their lives, with many of them having kids of their own now and succeeding in life away from basketball - knowing we played a part in making them the great men they are today.

"I feel very fortunate to have been in this league for so long and I'm excited to see what the future holds for our club."

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During this time as a coach - which included stops at Eastside Spectres, South East Melbourne Magic, Victoria Titans, our Sydney Kings, South Dragons and Illawarra Hawks - Goorjian has recorded 566 wins and 259 losses, for a win percentage of 68.6.

Making that stat even more impressive is the fact that his side's winning margin during that span is 5,761 points.

"Most coaches you come across will say the same thing but our process is very much about being in the present and not looking in the rear-vision mirror, rather keeping an eye on what's next," the Californian-born coach said.

In terms of the match itself, Goorjian is confident his Hoops Capital side can build on their recent wins against South East Melbourne and Brisbane and cement second spot on the ladder.

"A big aspect for us right now is how we handle the rebounding without Keli [Leaupepe] and how we deal with their front line," Goorjian said.

"The other is [Chris] Goulding, who has had such a big impact in our previous two meetings with Melbourne, in terms of what he brings to their perimeter.

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"Like every game we've got coming up, I've told the boys they need to be locked in from the start.

"We were playing for our lives at half-time against South East Melbourne, then we had a chance to move up the ladder in Brisbane - all after the disappointment of the Adelaide game.

"We all know we're in the backstretch of games, we're it's imperative we continue to improve every time we step onto the court and not take the foot off the gas."

Tickets to Thursday's round 16 clash at Qudos Bank Arena are still available here.