Inside the meeting that brought McVeigh to Cairns

Monday, August 25, 2025

Determined to bring success to the Cairns Taipans, Jack McVeigh backs Adam Forde’s vision and culture after a pivotal meeting that shaped his decision.

Jack McVeigh has revealed a sit-down meeting with head coach Adam Forde ultimately swayed him to join the Cairns Taipans.

Damon Lowery recently called the 29-year-old “almost unstoppable” after a standout stretch that included winning a Championship MVP in Tasmania, securing a stint with the Houston Rockets in the NBA, and representing Australia at both the Olympic Games and the FIBA Asia Cup.

The past 12 months have been a whirlwind for McVeigh, but he’s far from slowing down. He’s now determined to deliver wins to a Cairns Taipans side that’s been starved of success in recent seasons.

“I had a lot of great options … I sat down with Fordey and I just wanted to hear his vision. ‘Is that a vision I can buy in for?’,” he said on Sunday.

“At the end of the day he’s my boss and at the end of the there’s nothing worse than working for a boss and you don’t share their vision.

“He told me how he sees the team, what the daily routines look like, what habits he wants us to instil into the guys, and I can get behind it and I believe that it’s winning basketball and a winning culture.

“That’s something I wanted to be a part of and hopefully help drive.”

McVeigh headlines a Cairns roster built to contend, with the phrase ‘all-in’ becoming a defining mantra from the club’s powerbrokers in recent months.

The Taipans are no longer satisfied with simply competing - they’re chasing their maiden title.

McVeigh says they have the perfect man at the helm to make that happen.

“Fordey’s track record for speaks itself,” he said.

“A lot of people think they can develop talent, a lot of people think they can get the most out of young talent, but if it’s happening year in, year out, that means he walks the walk.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for a lot of young guys and an exciting opportunity for me to come in here and help teach them how to be a pro, how I’ve gotten to where I’ve been and to help them start an incredible career.”

McVeigh praised Boomers and Taipans teammate Reyne Smith, who he’ll team up with at the Code Sports NBL Blitz this week.

Cairns will also welcome new imports Admiral Schofield and Ashton Hagans in Canberra, as the club sets its sights on what they hope will be a history-making season.